India on Friday laid out the priorities of its campaign to secure an elected seat on the UN Security Council with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asserting that the country can play a “positive global role” at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic and its grave economic repercussions will test the world like never before. Jaishankar launched a brochure at an event here outlining India’s priorities for its forthcoming campaign to secure an elected seat on the UN Security Council at the elections slated for June 17, 2020. As a single endorsed candidate of the Asia-Pacific Group, India’s candidature is very likely to succeed, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. If elected, it would be India’s eighth term on the UN Security Council and this two-year tenure will start in January 2021. “Ten years since we were last elected to the Security Council, we are facing four very different challenges to international peace and security – the normal process of international governance has been at an increasing strain as frictions have increased, traditional and non-traditional security challenges continue to grow unchecked — terrorism is the most egregious of such examples,” Jaishankar said. “Global institutions remain unreformed and under representative, they are therefore less able to deliver, the COVID-19 pandemic and its grave economic repercussions will test the world like never before,” he said. In this extraordinary situation, India can play a positive global role, Jaishankar asserted. “We have always been a voice of reason and a votary of international law. We advocate dialogue, consultation and fairness in our approach to global issues,” the minister said. “As a rule abiding democracy and a positive contributor to the security of the global commons, India will work constructively with partners to overcome old and new faultlines and offer innovative and inclusive solutions, help developing countries obtain the necessary support to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, help focus more on development, support greater involvement of women and youth in shaping a new paradigm and finally enhance transparency, credibility, representation and effectiveness of the council,” Jaishankar said. India emphasises global development addressing climate change and eradicating poverty as central to the planet’s future, he said. The priorities paper, issued as a brochure by the minister, set out the key priorities for India — new opportunities for progress, an effective response to international terrorism, reforming the multilateral system, comprehensive approach to international peace and security, and promoting technology with a human touch as a driver of solutions. “India’s approach will be guided by ”five S’s” as set out by the Prime Minister — Samman (Respect), Samvad (Dialogue), Sahyog (Cooperation), and Shanti (Peace), to create conditions for universal Samriddhi (Prosperity),” Jaishankar said. India’s overall objective during this tenure in the UN Security Council will be the achievement of N.O.R.M.S — a New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System, he said.
