United Nations
UN Security Council: India has emerged as a voice of the Global South during its two-year term in the United Nations Security Council. India discussed extensively Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
India assumed the presidency of the UN body in December before giving up its non-permanent seat on the 15-member council on 31 December 2022. In this, the country’s first woman Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj was sitting on the chair’s seat on the horse-shoe table.
Nearly two months into the second year of India’s 2021-2022 term in the Council as an elected non-permanent member, Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24 launched a ‘special military operation’ in eastern Ukraine. India’s then-UN envoy TS Tirumurti in February underlined New Delhi’s call for an immediate de-escalation of tensions, warning that the situation would lead to a bigger crisis.
New Delhi emphasized that dialogue and diplomacy are the only way forward. Actions that increase conflict should be avoided. Kamboj, who took charge of India’s Permanent Mission in New York in August, has asserted that during the Ukraine conflict, India had said in one voice that it was for peace.
Regarding the Ukraine conflict, India highlighted that its impact is not limited to Europe only. The Global South is facing particularly dire economic consequences. With growing concerns about energy and food security, the difficulties created by the COVID-19 pandemic are also on the rise. India supplied 24 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines to over 100 countries. India also provided humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and aid due to the impact of the conflict.
