Why did Pakistan’s concern increase due to India’s strong bid in UNSC elections? Former diplomat expressed doubt on OIC’s unity

New Delhi. India has intensified its diplomatic activism regarding the temporary membership elections of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the period 2028-29. In this election, India will compete with Muslim-majority country Tajikistan (Tajikistan) is from. Meanwhile, a statement of former Pakistani diplomat Abdul Basit is in discussion, in which he has expressed apprehension that in this election the unity of Islamic countries will not be seen like before and many Muslim countries may support India.

There will be a competition between India and Tajikistan

India has recently launched the ‘Peace Vision’ campaign to strengthen its candidature. On the other hand, Tajikistan is a member of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It was believed that most of the OIC countries would vote in favor of Tajikistan, but the assessment of former High Commissioner of Pakistan Abdul Basit is different.

Many OIC countries can support India

In an interview, Abdul Basit said that many Islamic countries can vote in favor of India in the Security Council elections. According to him, Muslim countries, especially in Africa, have strong economic and strategic ties with India, while their engagement with Tajikistan is relatively limited. In such a situation, the possibility of voting only on religious basis seems less.

OIC includes 57 member countries

There are a total of 57 member countries in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). These include 27 African and 27 Asian countries, while the remaining members come from Europe and the Americas region. Each member country has one vote in the United Nations General Assembly. In this sense, OIC countries have about 30 percent share of the total voting.

Although earlier the OIC countries appeared united on many international issues, in the current global circumstances their national interests are becoming a priority.

India-Africa partnership becomes a great strength

Analysts believe that India’s strong relations with African countries can become its biggest strength. India has undertaken extensive cooperation in the areas of infrastructure, health, education and economic development in African countries through the India-Africa Forum Summit launched in 2008.

India provided loans to many countries at concessional rates, increased trade facilities and also provided assistance during health disasters like COVID-19 and Ebola. For this reason, India’s relations with African countries have continuously strengthened.

Positive signals also received from Palestine

According to reports, there have been indications of positive attitude towards India from Palestine also. If India gets the support of African member countries of OIC and Palestine, then a strong support base can be created in favor of India within the organization. This possibility is being considered a cause of concern for Pakistan’s strategic analysts.

How are the temporary members of UNSC elected?

There are a total of 15 members in the United Nations Security Council. These include 5 permanent members—America, Russia, China, Britain and France—while 10 non-permanent members are elected for a two-year term.

Each of the 193 UN member states has one vote. To become a temporary member, any candidate has to secure two-thirds majority, i.e. at least 129 votes.

India has been selected eight times

India has been a temporary member of the United Nations Security Council eight times so far. This time too his candidature is being considered strong. To make its claim more effective, India has put forward several priorities under ‘Peace Vision’.

India kept its agenda

India has given prominence in its campaign to issues like strengthening the voice of the Global South, effective global action against terrorism, maritime security, greater contribution to UN peacekeeping operations and comprehensive reforms in the Security Council.

India has also long been advocating the expansion of the Security Council and increasing the number of permanent members, so as to better represent the current global balance of power.

Why is temporary membership important?

If India is elected a non-permanent member, it will get the opportunity to play an active role in various committees of the Security Council. This will increase India’s participation and influence on issues related to terrorism, international security, sanctions regime and global conflicts. Also, India’s role in international diplomacy is likely to become stronger.

Nehru had also presented India’s vision

Regarding India’s role in the United Nations Security Council, the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had said that India does not want permanent membership only for prestige, but because it has the ability to make a meaningful contribution in maintaining global peace and stability. Even today, India is trying to strengthen its role on the global stage with the same approach.