Topic of the day:-“The UNSC election”
The two most prestigious organs of the United Nations are the Security Council and the International Court of Justice. While the Security Council has 15 member states, the ICJ has 15 judges. Election to the UNSC is conducted only in the General Assembly and requires two-thirds majority to get elected. Election to the ICJ is held concurrently in the UNGA and UNSC and requires absolute majority of the total membership in each organ. Veto does not apply for election to the ICJ. India has lost elections to both these organs in the past. Of the two, the UNSC is by far more important from the national interest point of view. It deals with questions of peace and security as well as terrorism and has developed a tendency to widen its ambit into other fields, including human rights and eventually environment. In addition to the Kashmir issue, which Pakistan forever tries to raise, there are other matters in which India would be interested such as the list of terrorists — Hafeez Saeed for example. Since it is in permanent session, we have to try to be its member as often as possible. The ICJ is required to represent the principal civilisations and legal systems of the world. The judges sitting on ICJ are expected to act impartially, not as representatives of the countries of their origin. That is why they are nominated, not by their governments but by their national groups in the Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague. To have an Indian judge at the ICJ, when we have an active case on its agenda regarding our national in illegal custody of Pakistan might be of some advantage, though it would be wrong to assume that the final judgment will go in our favour simply because an Indian is on the bench. He will surely act in an objective manner. We will win because we have an excellent legal case and are ably represented by an eminent lawyer. There are other bodies in the UN that are not as well known but are important enough to be represented on like the ACABQ (Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions) and the Committee on Contributions. The former consists of 16 members elected by the UNGA on the recommendation of the Fifth Committee of the UNGA dealing with the budget of the UN. Usually, the members are officers of the permanent missions serving on the Fifth Committee. Most often, they are of the rank of first secretary or counsellor; Ambassadors rarely offer their candidatures. The Committee on Contributions recommends the scale of assessments to the budget and the share of each member. This is a very important function, since the share decided by the UNGA applies to all the specialised agencies, etc. Even a 0.1 % change can make a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have had distinguished persons serving on both these committees, such as G. Parthasarathy, S.K Singh, as well as our current permanent representative, ambassador Syed Akbaruddin. Some stalwarts have also lost these elections. There is also the Human Rights Council; we have had almost continuous representation on it. The U.S. lost the election to it a few years ago; there is widespread resentment against the P-5’s presumption to a permanent seat on all bodies.
MEANINGS AND WORDS
1) Deployed
Meaning: Bring into effective action.
Example: Small states can often deploy resources more freely.
Synonyms: Utilize, Exploit
2) Prudent
Meaning: Acting with or showing care and thought for the future.
Example: No prudent money manager would authorize a loan without first knowing its purpose.
Synonyms: Wise, Sagacious
Antonyms: Unwise, Incautious
3) Interpret
Meaning: To decide what the intended meaning of something is.
Example: A jury should not interpret the silence of a defendant as a sign of guilt.
4) Ambit
Meaning: The scope, extent, or bounds of something.
Example: A full discussion of this complex issue was beyond the ambit of one book.
5) Arbitration
Meaning: The use of an arbitrator to settle a dispute.
Example: Tayside Regional Council called for arbitration to settle the dispute.
Synonyms: Adjudication, Mediation
6) Agenda
Meaning: A plan of things to be done or problems to be addressed.
Example: He vowed to put jobs at the top of his agenda.
Synonyms: Schedule, Programme
7) Eminent
Meaning: (Of a person) famous and respected within a particular sphere.
Example: One of the world’s most eminent statisticians.
8) Resentment
Meaning: Bitter indignation at having been treated unfairly.
Example: His resentment at being demoted.
Synonyms: Bitterness, Irritation
Antonyms: Contentment, Happiness
9) Euphemism
Meaning: A mild or indirect word or expression substituted for one considered to be too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing.
Example: The jargon has given us ‘downsizing’ as a euphemism for cuts.
Synonyms: Substitute, Politeness
Antonyms: Dysphemism
10) Unanimous
Meaning: (Of an opinion, decision, or vote) held or carried by everyone involved.
Example: This requires the unanimous approval of all member states.
Synonyms: Uniform, Consistent
11) Claimants
Meaning: A person making a claim, especially in a lawsuit or for a state benefit.
Example: One in four eligible claimants failed to register for a rebate.
Synonyms: Applicant, Candidate
12) Forego
Meaning: Go without (something desirable).
Example: She wanted to forgo the tea and leave while they could.
Synonyms: Waive, Renounce
Antonyms: Keep
13) Veto
Meaning: A constitutional right to reject a decision or proposal made by a lawmaking body.
Example: Neither state was given a veto over amendments to the Act.
Synonyms: Rejection, Dismissal
Antonyms: Approval
14) Pledging
Meaning: Formally declare or promise that something is or will be the case.
Example: The Prime Minister pledged that there would be no increase in VAT.
Synonyms: Promise, Swear
15) Aspiration
Meaning: A hope or ambition of achieving something.
Example: The needs and aspirations of the people.
Synonyms: Desire, Hope
