India elected non-permanent member of UN Security Council
19 Jun 2020 00:36:04
By Yoshita Singh :
UNITED NATIONS,
INDIA was elected as non-permanent member of the powerful UN Security Council for a two-year term on Wednesday, winning 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. Along with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway also won the Security Council elections held Wednesday. There were 192 Member States present for voting and the 2/3 required majority was 128. India garnered 184 votes. Canada lost the elections. “Member States elect India to the non-permanent seat of the Security Council for the term 2021-22 with overwhelming support.
India gets 184 out of the 192 valid votes polled,” India’s Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted. India will sit in the most powerful UN organ, for two years beginning on January 1, along with the five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US as well as non-permanent members Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam. India was a candidate for a non-permanent seat from the Asia-Pacific category for the 2021-22 term. Its victory was a given since it was the sole candidate vying for the lone seat from the grouping. New Delhi’s candidature was unanimously endorsed by the 55-member Asia-Pacific grouping, including China and Pakistan, in June last year. 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 most recently in 2011-2012.
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday conducted elections for President of the 75th session of the Assembly, five non- permanent members of the Security Council and members of the Economic and Social Council under special voting arrangements put in place here due to COVID-19 related restrictions. Turkish diplomat and politician Volkan Bozkir was elected as President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly. He was the endorsed candidate from among the Western European and other States. The elections began at 9 am on Wednesday and unlike previous years, when the sprawling General Assembly hall would be packed with UN envoys, diplomats and staff during the ballot, this year presence in the UNGA hall was sparse due to COVID-19 related restrictions.
Eight time slots were allocated to Member States to cast their ballots starting at 9 am, in adherence to social distancing guidelines. The voting continued well on Wednesday afternoon, with an additional 30 minute time slot for voters who were unable to visit the GA hall during the specific time slot communicated to them. The time slot for India to cast its ballot was 11:30 am-12 noon. President of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande oversaw the proceedings in the General Assembly Hall and the tellers also observed the whole process. ‘India received overwhelming support in its election to the UN Security Council’: India received overwhelming support in its election to the UN Security Council and it will continue to provide leadership and a new orientation for a reformed multilateral system, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T S Tirumurti said.
The UNSC’s permanent and non-permanent members have congratulated India and three other newly-elected countries on their election to the powerful UN organ, saying they look forward to working with them on the issues of international peace and security. The US has extended a warm welcome to India on its election to the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member and said that it looks forward to working with New Delhi.
Deeply grateful for support shown by global community, says PM
NEW DELHI,
June 18 (PTI)
PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he is “deeply grateful” for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India’s membership of the UN Security Council. India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity, he said.
This is the eighth time that India will sit at the UN high-table, which comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members. “Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India’s membership of the UN Security Council,” the Prime M inister wrote on Twitter.