Security Council seat top priority for India: Hardeep Puri

Betwa Sharma
United Nations, Mar 29 (PTI) Securing a non-permanent
seat at the UN Security Council is India's top priority for
the year and it seems "eminently doable" with India putting a
concerted effort, Indian envoy to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri
has said.
India had decided to run for a Security Council seat for
the year 2010-2011 in 2006 and has been canvassing for the
spot for the past three years. Early in 2010, Kazakhstan
withdrew from the electoral race leaving with India with a
clean slate.
"The priorities for India have really suggested
themselves. Our efforts have been to ensure that we get
elected. On that front, we're almost there," Puri told PTI.
India's candidacy for a non-permanent seat in the
Security Council have been endorsed by the Asian Group in the
UN General Assembly.
Nineteen countries including Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Afghanistan and Bangladesh spoke in favour of giving India a
spot on the Security Council table starting Jan 2011 at a
meeting in New York.
"We had tied up the required degree of support... We now
have one procedural requirement which is to formally be
elected in October and that seems eminently doable," Puri
said.
The Security Council is made up of 15 states -- five
permanent members who have the veto power and 15 non-permanent
seats elected for a two-year term.
To win, India needs two-thirds of the General Assembly
vote, which adds up to about 128 counties saying yes to
India's presence in the Security Council.
Even before Kazakhstan dropped out, diplomats here
estimate that 122 votes were in India's bag but now that it is
the sole runner from Asia, more votes are expected.
Running after more than a decade, India has orchestrated
a long campaign led by Puri, who has campaigned locally here
in New York and at multilateral events at the United Nations.
The last time India had a seat at the Council was in
1992. In 1996, Japan won with India trailing behind with
approximately 40 votes.
Last year, the General Assembly elected Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria to serve as
non-permanent members.
Puri highlighted Security Council reforms and getting an
international treaty on terrorism as two other top priorities
for India at the UN in 2010. PTI