The UN and its impact in the Commonwealth: A View from the Speaker of India

Hon. Shri Om Birla was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 17 th Lok Sabha in the Parliament of India on 19 June 2019. He has been a Member of Parliament for Kota-Bundi parliamentary constituency since 2014. He was previously a Member of the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha (Provincial Assembly) from 2003 to 2014. He has held positions with the youth wing of his party, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha, as National Vice President, State President and District President. He completed his Master of Commerce at Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University.

Established in 1945 to usher in a new World Order in a world faced with damnation and ruination after two great wars, the United Nations is completing 75 years of glorious service as a multilateral platform for the comity of nations later this year.

Over these seven and a half decades, through its untiring initiatives and endeavours, it has reaffirmed the faith of the international community in peaceful coexistence, international cooperation, justice and human rights including the dignity of the individual.

The United Nations Organization stands testimony to the shared values and interests of countries in a globalized world order and their ability to cooperate for the mutual benefit of all. The UN Charter provides and employs the international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all people. 1

It seeks to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion. It has sought to promote social progress and a better standard of living for people across the world. The UN provided the hope of self-determination to millions of subjugated people across the globe particularly those suffering from the colonial yoke.

India, being one of the 26 original signatories to the United Nations Declaration was also among the 51 original founding member states who signed the UN Charter in San Francisco, USA on 26 June 1945, based on which the UN came into being on 24 October 1945.

The Commonwealth in its previous avatars predates the UN. However, the formal Commonwealth of Independent Countries also emerged around the same time as the UN in 1949. The 1949 London Declaration made it clear that republics and other countries could be part of the Commonwealth. 2 The decision to retain the Commonwealth membership was one of independent India's first major foreign policy decisions. It was not only a defining moment in the evolution of the Commonwealth but also opened the door for a larger role for India in international politics. Presently, more than half of Commonwealth countries have a republican form of government.

There is a lot of commonality between the Commonwealth Charter and the objectives set out in the UN Charter. The UN and the modern Commonwealth are both more than 70 years old and are committed to promoting international peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. Both seek to protect and preserve Mother Earth.

Time and again, the Commonwealth has expressed its solidarity with the UN and a commitment to its Charter. The 1951 Declaration by the Commonwealth Prime Ministers succinctly sums up this convergence - "Our support of the United Nations needs no re-affirmation. The Commonwealth and the United Nations are not inconsistent bodies. On the contrary, the existence of the Commonwealth, linked together by the ties of friendship, common purpose and common endeavour, is a source of power behind the Charter.” 3

The Declaration of Commonwealth Principles Singapore, 1971 states: "We believe that international co-operation is essential to remove the causes of war, promote tolerance, combat injustice, and secure development among the peoples of the world; we are convinced that the Commonwealth is one of the most fruitful associations for these purposes." It further says: "We believe that international peace and order are essential to the security and prosperity of mankind; we therefore support the United Nations and seek to strengthen its influence for peace in the world, and its efforts to remove the causes of tension between nations.” 4

Concerned at the diminishing capacity of international institutions to play an effective role in world affairs, the Commonwealth Heads of Government, in their historic 1983 Goa Declaration 5 , pledged renewed support for the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter.

The Commonwealth is strongly anchored on the principles contained in the 1991 Harare Declaration. 6

Today, the Commonwealth has become an ideal platform for its members to communicate, share ideas, experiences and best practices and co-ordinate activities despite differences in cultures, traditions and belief. It is interesting that Commonwealth countries until 2011 were held together by the sheer strength of their shared traditions and experiences, institutions and the desire for greater economic cooperation. For it was only in 2011 at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth, Australia that the Commonwealth Charter was proposed and was adopted on 19 December 2012. 7

To our immense satisfaction, it is gradually acquiring a global character. The latest two entrants, Rwanda and Mozambique, have never been a part of the British Empire. The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) deserves much credit for bringing together MPs of Commonwealth countries on a single platform to exchange views on a variety of contemporary issues.

There is a huge convergence of interest between the Commonwealth and the UN on issues like strengthening good governance and the rule of law, protecting and promoting democratic principles and human rights and strengthening democratic institutions. Both emphasise youth empowerment, gender equality, inclusive and sustainable economic growth for realising the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Both are committed to free trade in a transparent, inclusive, fair, and open rules based multilateral trading system. Both acknowledge the importance of disaster preparedness in reducing the impact of natural disasters.

The Commonwealth support to the UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1325 of 31 October 2000 that recognised, amongst other things, women's right to participate in peace processes is too well known. Commonwealth countries understand their commitment under the Paris Agreement to mitigate the impact of global warming and climate change and are vigorously striving to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels as prescribed in the Paris Agreement. 8

There is a renewed commitment in the Commonwealth to shift to clean forms of energy and partner with relevant organisations, including the International Solar Alliance to promote sustainable economic growth.

The Commonwealth is against violent extremism in all its forms and supports the UN Secretary-General's January 2016 Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism by addressing the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups. 9

The Commonwealth has also endorsed the UNSC Resolution 2250 of 9 December 2015 on Youth, Peace and Security 10 which focuses on promoting youth participation, prevention, protection, partnership and disengagement and reintegration as five pillars for action related to young people's contribution to peace processes and conflict resolution.

India has time and again reiterated its commitment to the UN Charter and has been playing an important role in the UN system. It has also contributed to the Commonwealth with the same commitment. The Indian Parliament, on the occasion of the Fiftieth Anniversary of the United Nations, had passed a Resolution on 22 December 1994 reaffirming India's abiding commitment to the UN, and determination to build upon its achievements and utilise its potential to advance our shared aspirations of peace, security and prosperity. The Resolution also reiterated India's belief that the UN is uniquely placed to promote a more just, equitable, and prosperous and secure world order and should be strengthened to reflect the current political and economic realities.

The Indian Parliament is also a regular and active participant in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at the international and regional levels.

India has been at the forefront of many UN resolutions. Over seven decades, India has strongly supported the advancement of human rights at the UN. In the initial years, India forcefully raised issues like decolonization, apartheid, human rights, non-alignment, nuclear disarmament, new international economic order, North-South relations, South-South cooperation, democracy, etc. and brought in a new dimension to the working of the United Nations that was more besieged with security related matters. India was one of the prominent members of the UN who raised the plight of the colonized countries.

Ultimately in 1960, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on decolonization, the 'Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples'. 11 The Resolution declared that subjecting people to alien subjugation constitutes denial of human rights and is an impediment to attaining world peace.

India also played an important role in ending apartheid in South Africa. On 2 December 1950, the UN General Assembly declared that "a policy of 'racial segregation' (apartheid) is necessarily based on doctrines of racial discrimination." 12

India strongly advocated for the abolition of apartheid at the UN and at all international forums, including the Commonwealth, ultimately leading to its end and the emergence of South Africa as a democratic country. India was also able to get a resolution on the treatment of Indians in the Union of South Africa, adopted by the UN General Assembly on 8 December 1946. 13

India has been relentlessly calling for elimination of nuclear weapons. India has been actively participating in the economic, social and humanitarian activities of the United Nations.

India has participated in UN peacekeeping missions since its inception and has contributed more peacekeepers to UN missions than any other country. India has provided more than 200,000 military and police officers to UN peace keeping over the last 70 years. 14 It has the distinction of contributing the world's first female peacekeeping force that served towards bringing peace in Liberia in 2007.

In view of the pandemic of COVID-19 and the demand from several countries for the drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), India has gone out of its way to meet the global demand at short notice, on pure humanitarian grounds and as a way of showing solidarity in the hoary tradition of

(Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam) i.e 'the World is a Family'.

Terrorism has become an important concern for all peace-loving countries and India is campaigning for the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism to combat cross-border terrorism.

India has been striving for the reform of the United Nations Security Council and the creation of a more representative and democratic body to make it more effective in dealing with peace and security related issues.

The 2007 UN Declaration celebrating 2 October, Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, as the International Day of Non-Violence is recognition of the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi's ideal of non-violence. 15

The proclamation of 21 June as the International Day of Yoga by the UN General Assembly on 11 December 2014 is a recognition of yoga as a holistic approach to health and well-being of all. 16

The election of India on 17 June 2020 with an overwhelming majority of 184 out of 192 votes in the United Nations General Assembly as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2021-2022, for the eighth time, demonstrates the confidence that the international community has in India's capability to strengthen the Council.

Ever since the United Nations was established in 1945, it has been engaged in addressing the multifarious and complex challenges that have emerged from time to time. As it brings together the leaders of the world on a single platform to share their thoughts, it has been able to provide resolutions based on consensus views. Though the UN remains the principal forum for multilateralism, the Commonwealth is eminently placed in addressing many complex issues through the unique style of functioning, which is again marked by consensus building, informality and goodwill. Both the UN and Commonwealth have immensely contributed to promoting world peace and development. The future of both organizations is intertwined in a myriad of ways and on their continued success, rests the future of a peaceful and sustainable world.

The following ancient Sanskrit Sloka very profoundly lays down the future roadmap of these two global entities:

English Translation: May the well-being of all people be protected By the powerful and mighty leaders be with law and justice. May the success be with all divinity and scholars, May contentment prevail world over.

1 https://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/preamble/index.html

2 https://thecommonwealth.org/london-declaration

3 https://thecommonwealth.org/declaration-commonwealth-prime-ministers

4 https://thecommonwealth.org/declaration-commonwealth-principles

5 https://thecommonwealth.org/goa-declaration-international-security

6 https://thecommonwealth.org/harare-declaration

7 https://thecommonwealth.org/about-us/charter

8 https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement

9 https://www.un.org/counterterrorism/plan-of-action-to-prevent-violent-extremism

10 https://www.un.org/press/en/2015/sc12149.doc.htm

11 UN General Assembly resolution 1514 (XV) of 14 December 1960 - https://www.ohchr. org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/Independence.aspx

12 General Assembly Resolution 395(V), 2 December 1950 - http://www.worldlii.org/int/ other/UNGA/1950/

13 UN General Assembly, Treatment of Indians in the Union of South Africa, 8 December 1946, A/RES/44 - https://www.refworld.org/docid/3b00f0993.html

14 https://peacekeeping.un.org/en/india

15 https://www.un.org/en/events/nonviolenceday/

16 https://www.un.org/en/observances/yoga-day