India to preside over UN Security Council the same month when nation celebrate 75th I-Day

New Delhi, July 31: In a major development, India will be taking over the Presidency of the UN Security Council on August 1. It is set to host signature events in three major areas of maritime security, peacekeeping and counterterrorism during the month.

 

India’s two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council began on January 1, 2021. The August presidency will be India’s first Presidency during its 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council.

 

 

“It is a singular honour for us to be presiding over the Security Council the same month when we are celebrating our 75th Independence Day," India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said in a video message on the eve of India assuming the rotating Presidency of the powerful 15-nation UN body.

 

 

Tirumurti will be holding a hybrid press briefing in the UN headquarters on the Council’s programme of work for the month on the first working day of India’s Presidency that is on August 2 (Monday). India will again preside over the Council in December next year, the last month of its two-year tenure. During its Presidency, India will be organising high-level signature events in three major areas - maritime security, peacekeeping and counterterrorism.

 

As reported earlier, in June 2019, India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat at the powerful UN Security Council for a two-year term was unanimously endorsed by the Asia-Pacific group at the world body. "A unanimous step. Asia-Pacific Group @UN unanimously endorses India's candidature for a non-permanent seat of the Security Council for 2 year term in 2021/22. Thanks to all 55 members for their support," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin had said.

 

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Asia-Pacific Group endorses India for Non-Permanent Seat of United Nations Security Council. 55 countries, 1 nominee - India for non-permanent seat of UN Security Council Term 2021-2022, Akbaruddin had said. Each year the 193-member General Assembly elects five non-permanent members for a two-year term at the UN high-table. The five permanent members of the Council are China, France, Russia, UK and the US.

 

The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis: five for African and Asian States; one for Eastern European States; two for the Latin American and Caribbean States; and two for Western European and other States. Previously, India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council for the years 1950–1951, 1967–1968, 1972–1973, 1977–1978, 1984–1985, 1991–1992 and in 2011–2012 under the leadership of former Ambassador Hardeep Singh Puri.