India slams China for stalling UN reforms

New Delhi: India has slammed China for stalling UN reforms by not allowing the Intergovernmental Negotiations process to have basic rules of procedure and records. Intergovernmental Negotiations framework or ING is a body of countries within the United Nations working for reforms but its conversations are informal and thus carry no weight.

Without mentioning any name, India's envoy to UN TS Tirumurti said, "The same countries who shed crocodile tears for small and medium states are the same ones denying them even the basic courtesy, which is to help them keep an official record of discussions. What happens here has no record and we start again the next year as if nothing has happened. And of course, we don’t even have a single negotiating text."

Adding, "IGN has become like a platform for debate in a University rather than a serious resulted-oriented process in the United Nations consisting of sovereign Member States."

IGN was formed more than a decade ago with India many times calling for the application of the General Assembly Rules of Procedures on it so that records can be kept and the process can be "open, inclusive and transparent". China, a member of the UNSC has been halting any attempts for application of the rules and move to a single "text-based negotiation."

Tirumurti pointed out, "just a handful of countries don’t want us to proceed. They have stopped the IGN from progressing. They are using the IGN as a smoke-screen to stop themselves from being identified by paying lip-service to Security Council reform."

When it comes to India's membership, China is the only permanent member of the United Nations Security Council that has not voiced any support for it. Rest all, the US, Russia, UK, and France have backed India as a permanent member of the UNSC.

Reiterating New Delhi's position, Tirumurti said, "We believe that the vast majority of member states are, like us, in favor of expansion in both - permanent and non-permanent - categories of membership of the Security Council."

He also extended support to African membership at the high table saying,  "let us reaffirm our firm support for the Common African Position, as specified in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration."

Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, both call for at least 2 permanent and 5 to 2 non-permanent UNSC seats to be given to African countries at the high table.