The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) chose Pakistan as a non-permanent member in June. It will go into effect on January 1, 2025, and last for two years. Given that India has long aimed to reform the UNSC and become a permanent member, let’s examine why this development might not be advantageous for the country.
Pakistan will formally become a non-permanent member of the UNSC on January 1, 2025, being the eighth country to do so in the council’s history. Among the 193 UN member states, the UNSC, which has its headquarters in New York, is in charge of preserving world peace and security. Five permanent members and ten elected members with two-year terms make up its fifteen members.
The United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, China, and France are the permanent members, or P5, and they all have the ability to veto decisions. With 182 votes, far more than the 124 needed for a two-thirds majority, Pakistan won its seat in June with resounding support. China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, and Singapore all backed this win.
Munir Akram, the ambassador of Pakistan to the UN, said that the country’s delegation will be “active and constructive” in tackling global issues and that its presence in the Security Council would be felt firmly. This development is far from ideal for India, though. India has consistently pushed for permanent membership in the UNSC and has worked to improve the council’s democracy and representation. These goals may be hampered by Pakistan’s new role because Islamabad is probably going to fight India’s application for a permanent seat.
Pakistan has previously voiced opposition to the UNSC accepting new permanent members. Rather, it has stressed the significance of frequent elections and rotations for a democratic council and pushed for the expansion of the group of non-permanent members.
Pakistan could use the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which has half of the current UNSC’s ten elected members, to establish itself as the “voice of the Muslim world.” In addition, Pakistan will chair the UNSC in July, allowing it to define the agenda and host two signature events on subjects of its choosing. With China and Russia still being significant P5 members and Japan, a pro-Western member, leaving as a non-permanent member and Pakistan joining, this could slightly change the balance of power in the council.
In the UNSC, Pakistan is also likely to raise the Kashmir issue. Islamabad will continue to draw attention to the Kashmir issue and urge the international community to take decisive action, according to Ambassador Akram. However, India maintains that the 1972 Shimla Agreement should be used to settle the dispute bilaterally and opposes any international action since it views Jammu and Kashmir as an essential component of its sovereign territory.
Beyond this, there is also cause for concern over Pakistan’s participation in the sanctions committees for Al-Qaeda and ISIS. These committees are essential in identifying people and organizations as terrorists and enforcing penalties. Pakistan could influence these proceedings as a non-permanent member.
With the backing of its friends and other UNSC members, including the US, France, and Russia, India intends to thwart Pakistan’s actions in the midst of these developments. In order to discuss concerns that are anticipated to come up over the next two years, India has also communicated with a few permanent members of the UNSC.
Pakistan’s leadership has stated its wider goals in the UNSC in addition to geopolitical ones. “Pakistan will actively support the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, including promoting peaceful conflict resolution, opposing unilateral force or its threat, combating terrorism in all its forms, and supporting effective UN peacekeeping and peace-building efforts,” said Ishaq Dar, the country’s deputy prime minister and foreign minister.
In conclusion, even though Pakistan has established itself as an accountable and helpful member of the international community, its membership in the UNSC presents India with new difficulties and upsets the balance of power in this important international organization. The dynamics of global peace and security will be significantly shaped in the upcoming years.a
