India Back in Un Security Council
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
PUBLICATION OF THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF INDIA IN DUBAI N Industrial output in India bounces back to double digits N FDI norms for real estate in India may be relaxed N India to become second biggest destination for FDI: survey N BrahMos cruise missile achieves supersonic dive VOL. 2 ISSUE 9 SEPTEMBER 2010 INDIA BACK IN UN SECURITY COUNCIL CONSULATE HOSTS SUHOOR FROM THE CONSUL GENERAL’S DESK India Matters is a monthly publication of the Consulate General of India Dear Reader (CGI) in Dubai . All rights reserved. No part of this journal As a testimony to our international stature, India was elected with a hands-down majority as the Asian regional rep - may be produced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any contents resentative to the 15-member UN Security Council. India’s elevation to the UN high table was near unanimous. This means – electronic, mechanical, is another recognition of India’s case for a permanent seat in a restructured UN Security Council. photocopying, recording or During Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Mr. Vayalar Ravi’s visit to UAE recently, he encouraged all Indians to otherwise, without the register with their diplomatic missions as this will help them to exercise their voting rights while in India. permission of the CGI Dubai . We plan to revamp India Matters . Do let us have your suggestions on a new look and what changes you would like to see or the kind of articles you would like to read. As much as this is your Consulate, the magazine is yours as well. So Editorial correspondence and we look forward to your inputs. manuscripts can be addressed to [email protected] Content and design by IANS Happy Reading. (www.ianspublishing.com) Sanjay Verma on behalf of Consulate General of India in Dubai. India elected UNSC Non-Permanent Member 4 After a gap of nearly two decades, India has been elected as a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council, a fact that reiterates India’s rise as a global power. INDIA-UAE 8 Indian Consulate, Dubai, INDIA MATTERS ON AIR hosts Suhoor The Consulate General of India in Dubai has re-launched its weekly radio programme, India Matters, with the purpose of informing the public about various Consular services, events relat - ing to India and about what matters to Indians in the UAE. INDIA-UAE India Matters is aired every Saturday between 6 pm and 7 pm on FM 105.4 Radio Spice and repeated every Friday between 5 pm 10 UAE, India sign security, and 6 pm. prisoner accords FM 105.4 Radio Spice caters to the South Asian community in BUSINESS & ECONOMY the UAE, broadcasting mainly in Hindi and English. 12 India to be 2nd biggest destination for FDI A new UNCTAD survey finds India will become the second biggest destination for LONAVLA foreign direct investment (FDI) in the world The winner of the August 2010 over the next two years. monthly quiz contest is 20 SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Ms. Anjali Jestine . 18 BrahMos missile achieves She wins a gift hamper. supersonic dive The 290-km range BrahMos cruise mis - sile, being jointly developed by India and s! Russia, achieved a supersonic dive after ratulation being test-fired from the Integrated Test Cong Range at Chandipur in Orissa, meeting all mission requirements. 2| INDIA MATTERS INDIA MATTERS |3 SEPTEMBER 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010 COVER STORY irroring the shifting archi - tecture of the evolving glob - al order, India left no one in doubt about the over - Mwhelming support it enjoys in the global arena when it won a rotating non-perma - nent seat on the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) with 187 votes in the 192-mem - ber U.N. General Assembly (UNGA). Comprising 98 percent of the total membership of the UN, this was the high - est number of votes polled by any of the candidates for a non-permanent seat in the Security Council for the past five years. With Kazakhstan withdrawing from the race in January, India became the sole can - didate from the Asian region and its elec - tion to the non-permanent seat had become a near certainty. But the huge mar - gin with which it won the UNGA elections took even India’s Ministry of External Affairs and diplomats, who worked tireless - ly to make this possible, by surprise. It was clearly a big moment for Indian diplomacy as New Delhi returns to the council on January 1, 2011, after a gap of nearly two decades. The news triggered waves of jubilation across the Indian diplo - matic and strategic establishment. India’s permanent mission to the UN, which liter - ally burnt midnight oil to make this feat possible, was “overjoyed.” “This is the highest vote that any coun - try has got in the last five years. Now that’s saying a lot,” said Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s Envoy to the UN, in New York, while describing the vote as “a ringing endorsement”. In New Delhi, Minister for External Affairs S.M. Krishna, hailed the re-entry of India into the U.N. Security Council as “a step forward” in the direction of New Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, meeting with US President Barack Obama, at Toronto, Canada, on June 26, 2010. (File picture) Delhi getting a permanent seat in the pre - India elected to UNSC as eminent global body. needed structural reform to the U.N. over 50 heads of state and foreign ministers manent member of the UNSC for 2011-12 “We will demonstrate to the internation - Security Council. I have absolutely no during his 10-day trip to New York to and underlined that New Delhi will be the al community that India on the Security doubt that we will utilise our tenure to pro - attend the 65th session of the UNGA just “voice of moderation” in the global body. NON-PERMANENT Council is good for the world,” Krishna said vide a sense of satisfaction to all our part - days before the crucial vote. “India’s traditional wisdom and desire to minutes after the news of India winning the ners and obtain their reaffirmation of the India last held a non-permanent seat in contribute to international peace and amity rotating seat trickled in from New York. need for a permanent presence for India on the U.N. Security Council in 1991-1992. will result in our being the voice of modera - MEMBER “This resounding endorsement of the Security Council.” This will be India’s seventh term on the tion and constructive engagement in the India’s candidature at the United Nations Minister Krishna had reasons to feel Security Council as a non-permanent decisions of the Security Council,” he said. serves as a reaffirmation, if any were need - gratified as he led the diplomatic charge for member. India has previously been a mem - Alluding to “a troubled neighbour - ed, of the overwhelming support that India getting a non-permanent seat since becom - ber of the Security Council in 1950-51, hood”, Krishna said India’s immediate pri - After its election as a non-permanent member of the enjoys in the international community,” ing the Foreign Minister in May last year. 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, orities in the Council will include peace Minister Krishna added. “India will also According to sources, he spoke to foreign and 1991-92. and stability in our near and extended UNSC, India will now pitch harder for a permanent seat, continue to work with like-minded coun - ministers of over 100 countries and sought Looking ahead, Krishna outlined key pri - neighbourhood, including Afghanistan, writes Manish Chand tries and groups for bringing about much their support for the U.N. seat. He met orities of India during its tenure as non-per - the Middle East and Africa. Other key pri - 4| INDIA MATTERS INDIA MATTERS |5 SEPTEMBER 2010 SEPTEMBER 2010 COVER STORY orities, he stressed, would include counter- on the U.N. Security Council from 2011- terrorism, including the prevention of the 2013,” U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for proliferation of weapons of mass destruc - South Asia Robert Blake said in his speech tion to non-state actors, and the strength - at the Baltimore Council on Foreign ening of U.N. peacekeeping to which India Affairs. “As two of the world’s leading is one of the leading contributors. democracies, we can help build a new glob - Krishna said the victory was reflective of al commons — an international system in India’s major role on the world stage in which other democracies can flourish, areas like combating terrorism and climate human dignity is advanced, poverty is change. reduced, trade is expanded, our environ - “India will discharge its obligations as a ment is preserved, violent extremists are responsible member of the international marginalised, the spread of weapons of community by remaining fully and active - mass destruction is curbed, and new fron - ly engaged on all issues before the tiers in science and technology are Council,” Krishna assured. explored. That is the moment, and the Conjuring a picture of restraint and bal - promise, that lies before us,” Blake said. ance, Krishna said India would handle all It’s now up to India to leverage its non- issues with “objectivity” when he was asked permanent seat to take a stand on on press - questions about terrorism originating from ing global issues sans prejudices and use its Pakistan or sanctions against the Iranian soft power to revivify the UN’s standing as nuclear programme. the premier global body the world can trust “We would like cordial relations with for maintaining international peace and Pakistan.