India was among the founding members of United Nations.
It is the second largest and a one of the largest constant contributor of troops to United Nations Peacekeeping missions.
Peacekeeping vs Peace Enforcement
Peacekeeping is maintaining peace
Peace enforcement is use of force to bring in peace
Eg arguably what US did in Iraq
India policy
India not involved in Peace enforcement since IPKF futile efforts in Lanka
But, as per defence minister, India will actively engage in peace enforcement against IS if it is carried after a UN resolution & under a UN flag
Building pressure from US
Though, India did not participate in gulf war of 2003 even though, a resolution was passed in the UN
Reasons
Today, India has over 8,500 peacekeepers in the field, one of the largest more than twice as many as the UN’s five big powers combined.
India has been temporary member of UNSC for 7 terms
Economy, Populaation, Nuclear , Buyoncy
LMCs support
G4
Founding Member of UN
Soft Power examples
Inclusion to UNSC
G4
India, Germany, Japan and Brazil
Together working for UNSC reforms and their inclusion
Similarly
In contrast- Uniting for Consensus
Also called Coffee club
Includes Pak, Argentina, etc which are opposing such reforms
Fluctuating views of P5
Only Britain and France agreed on a proper written framework for changes
China in the past voted against Shashi Tharoor
India, since long time, has been demanding expansion of UNSC and its inclusion as permanent member in it. It has been a member of UNSC for 7 terms and a member of G-77 and G-4, so permanent membership is a logical extension.
Hidden Veto
After China applied veto against India demand dor designating JeM chied Masood Azhar a teroorist in UN
Why hidden ?
Sanctions committee (P5 +10 temporary members) take decisions unanimpously
Hence vet available
Plus, voting is held in a secret ballot
One of the six principal organs of the United Nations
Mandate
maintenance of international peace and security.
Its powers include the establishment of peacekeeping operations,
the establishment of international sanctions,
and the authorization of military action through Security Council resolutions;
only UN body with the authority to issue binding resolutions to member states.
These permanent members can veto any substantive Security Council resolution, including those on the admission of new member states or candidates for Secretary-General.
Why was it created?
Like the UN as a whole, the Security Council was created following World War II to address the failings of another international organization, the League of Nations, in maintaining world peace.
Members:
The Security Council consists of fifteen members.
The United Kingdom,
The United States
France,
China,
Russia,
The Security Council also has 10 non-permanent members, elected on a regional basis to serve two-year terms. The body’s presidency rotates monthly among its members.
When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it, the Council’s first action is usually to recommend that the parties try to reach agreement by peaceful means. If a dispute leads to hostilities, the council’s primary concern is to bring them to an end as soon as possible by issuing ceasefire directives and by deploying military observers/peace keeping force if necessary. The council may also opt for economic sanctions, blockade or even collective military action.
Proposed reforms:
Reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) encompasses five key issues: categories of membership, the question of the veto held by the five permanent members, regional representation, the size of an enlarged Council and its working methods, and the Security Council-General Assembly relationship.
There is also a proposal to admit more permanent members.
Member States, regional groups and other Member State interest groupings developed different positions and proposals on how to move forward on this contested issue.
The reform of the Security Council requires the agreement of at least two-thirds of UN member states and that of all the permanent members of the UNSC, enjoying the veto right.
R2P
Responsibility to Protect
A doctrine developed by UN under Kofi Annan
Sovereignty dissolves if there are sufficient evidences of human right violation
Used as per whims – Not in Israel but in Iraq
India supported the resolution to adopt R2P
ICJ- International Court of Justice
Structure
Located in Hague, Netherlands
Legal body of UN setup in 1945
Has its own secretariat outside UN secretariat
Language- English, French (UN has 6)
Doesn’t depend on UN for budget
15 judges- 9 year term
Have to secure majority both in General Assembly & Security Council
Eligible for re election
Mandate
Settles dispute between STATES
No appeal can be made against its decision
However, as the Security Council is its enforcer, therefore SC & the veto power the boss
UN consults for legal wisdom from ICJ
Normally does not extend the jurisdiction to the states on its own
Applicable when both parties agree to
India a founding member of ICJ But
India has said ICJ not applicable to certain cases
Bilateral issues concerning a member or former meber of Commonwealth
Issue related to armed conflict with India
NO Multilateral treaties, esp NPT
But, India took and won vs Pak on Kulbhushan Jadhav
Total of 6 cases- 4 with Pak
Similar bodies
International Court of Arbitration
Institute for international commercial dispute resolution
Kishanganga
PCA
For arbitraio between parties
Between states, interantional organisations or private arisisng out of international agreement
9 dash lines – Philipines
The International Criminal Court (ICC:
The International Criminal Court (ICC), located in The Hague, is the court of last resort for prosecution of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. It is the first permanent, treaty based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.
Its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, entered into force on July 1, 2002.
Presently, the ICC had 123 states parties, opened investigations in eight countries, and issued two verdicts (Lubanga case and Ngudjolo case).
It was intended to complement existing national judicial systems and exercise its jurisdiction when certain conditions are met, such as when national courts are unwilling or unable to prosecute criminals or when the UNSC or individual states refer investigations to the Court.
Recently held for the 1st time that Crimes against women such as mass rapes also amounts to genocide
Cons
Inconsistent support from govt
The ICC is an independent international organisation, and is not part of the United Nations system.
The government of India has consistently opposed the Court. It abstained in the vote adopting of the statute in 1998, saying it objected to
the broad definition adopted of crimes against humanity;
and the use of nuclear weapons and other WMD not being explicitly criminalized.
the inclusion of war crimes for non-international conflicts,
the rights given to the UN Security Council to refer and delay investigations and bind non-states parties;
complementarity would be applied to the Indian criminal justice system,
and the power of the Prosecutor to initiate prosecutions.
IMF
Reforms
India voting share up from 2.3% to 2.6%
India now in top 10
Quota up to 2.7%
Elaboration required
Others
China from 4% to 6%
Russia and Brazil also gain
Around 6% quota from developed to developing countries
Total quotas doubled to 660 billion dollars up from 330 billion
Executive director
Will be completely elected
Earlier 5 largest operators appointed an executive director
Agreed in 2010 itself, but waiting due to US Congress delay
US still has 16.5% quota
Any reform requires 85% weighted majority
Another round of Quota Review
Initially planned in 2016
Now extended to 2019, and then Congress Approval required
Other challenges
Independent Evaluation Office (IEO), an independent body under IMF to scrutinise it,
Has criticised its handling of European crisis
Says need for
Better forecasting models
More diverse staff (Currently mostly European- prejudice)
Invest less where its not majority shareholder like the Traoika
Better loan conditions
Similarities
Bretton Woods
Both specialised agencies of UN
OECD
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international economic organisation of 34 countries founded in 1961 to stimulate economic progress and world trade. It provides a forum in which governments can work together to share experiences and seek solutions to common problems.
The OECD promotes policies designed:
To achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in Member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development of the world economy;
To contribute to sound economic expansion in Member as well as nonmember countries in the process of economic development; and
To contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, nondiscriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations.
Most OECD members are high-income economies with a very high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries. India is one of the many non-member economies with which the OECD has working relationships in addition to its member countries
ADB was modeled closely on the World Bank, and has a similar weighted voting system where votes are distributed in proportion with member’s capital subscriptions.
Total 67 countries- 48 in Asia- Pacific, rest outside
Funding:
ADB raises funds through bond issues on the world’s capital markets.
ADB also rely on its members’ contributions, retained earnings from its lending operations, and the repayment of loans.
Japan holds the largest proportions of shares at 15.67%. The United States holds 15.56%, China holds 6.47%, India holds 6.36%, and Australia holds 5.81%.
Board of Governors:
It is the highest policy-making body of the bank.
It is composed of one representative from each member state.
The Board of Governors also elect the bank’s President who is the chairperson of the Board of Directors and manages ADB.
The Alternate Board of Governors are nominated by Board of Governors of ADB’s 67 to represent them at the Annual Meeting that meets formally once year to be held in a member country.
Loans:
It offers both Hard Loans and Soft loans.
The ADB offers “hard” loans from ordinary capital resources (OCR) on commercial terms, and the Asian Development Fund (ADF) affiliated with the ADB extends “soft” loans from special fund resources with concessional conditions.
ADB & India
ADB increaesd loans to India by 50% to around 3-4 billion $ a year
Acc. to ADB done as full faith in INDIA
India has fully repaid all ADM loans in the past, without exceptions.
