India to preside over UNSC ahead of Independence Day; TS Tirumurthi calls it an 'honour'

Only days before the 75th Independence Day, India is now all set to take over the Presidency of the UN Security Council on August 1. Having been part of the council for the longest time, India will now exercise its maiden Presidency of 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. During the period, the country is expected to host signature events in three major areas of maritime security, peacekeeping and counterterrorism.

India to preside over the UNSC

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti shared a video message to announce the big news on the eve of India assuming the rotating Presidency of the powerful 15-nation UN body. “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,” Tirumurti said.

India’s Presidency will begin as on Monday, August 2 when TS Tirumurti will hold a hybrid press briefing in the UN headquarters on the Council’s programme of work for the month. On the first working day, Tirumurti will also provide a briefing for member states of the United Nations which are non-members of the Council on its work for the month, according to a schedule released by the UN. India’s two-year tenure as a non-permanent member of the Security Council began on January 1, 2021.

Maritime security, peacekeeping & counterterrorism among India's 'important' points

The presidency which starts in the coming week of August will be India’s first Presidency during its 2021-22 tenure. As explained by the Indian Representative to the UN Ambassador, the country has a clear vision of its actions during its tenure. Explaining maritime security being a high priority for the country, Tirumurti said that “it is important for the Security Council to take a holistic approach to this issue.”

In the video message shared, Tirumurti stressed that Peacekeeping is a topic “close to our hearts. Given our own long and pioneering involvement” with peacekeeping, he added that India will focus on how to ensure the safety of peacekeepers, especially by using better technology and how to bring perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers to justice. India, which has been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism, made clear that it will continue to keep the spotlight on counterterrorism.

Shedding light on the last seven months of India’s tenure in the UNSC, Tirumurti said, “We have been unafraid of shouldering responsibilities. We have been proactive. We have focused on issues of our priority. We have made efforts to bridge the different voices within the Council to ensure that the Council comes together and speaks in one voice on a variety of important issues of the day. This is what we will bring into our Presidency.” After the Presidency period, India will once again preside over the Council in December next year, which is the last month of the country’s two-year tenure.

IMAGE: ANI