India elected non-permanent member of UN Security Council
Will boost counter terrorism actions by UNSC: India
United Nations/New Delhi: India was elected as non-permanent member of the powerful UN Security Council for a two-year term on Wednesday night, winning 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly.
Along with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway also won the Security Council elections held Wednesday.
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.
Meanwhile, hours after getting elected to the UN Security Council, India on Thursday said enhancing counter terrorism action by the powerful UN body and depoliticising the process of putting sanctions on terror entities will be among its top priorities.
India was overwhelmingly elected as a non-permanent member of the powerful UN Security Council for a two-year term in an unprecedented election, in which envoys from the 192 member states voted wearing masks and in adherence to strict social distancing norms in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Briefing the media on India’s election to the UN body, Secretary West in the Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, said the country looks forward for being the voice for all those who are not represented on the Council.
He said this was one of India’s best performance in the UNSC elections as the country, the endorsed candidate from the Asia-Pacific States, won 184 votes out of the 192 ballots cast in the elections for the five non-permanent seats of the Security Council.
Talking about the priorities of India as a member of the UNSC, he said enhancing counter terrorism action by the UNSC is one of the main priorities for the country.
“Earlier also, when India was a member of the Security Council during 2011-12, we had chaired the United Nations counter terrorism committee and had brought in the concept of ‘zero tolerance to terrorism’,” Swarup said. (PTI)
Press Trust of India
