India’s month-long Presidency of the powerful UN Security Council has ended with “substantive” outcomes on key global issues including a strong resolution on the situation in Afghanistan that reflected India’s views and concerns, and demanded that the Afghan territory not be used to threaten any country or shelter terrorists.
India, currently serving a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council, assumed the rotating Presidency of the UN body for the month of August.
The Presidency ended with the first resolution being adopted by the Council on the situation in Afghanistan following the takeover of Kabul by the Taliban on the penultimate day of India’s Presidency of the Security Council for the month of August.
On the penultimate day of India’s Presidency, the Council issued the strong resolution on Afghanistan “demands that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists, or to plan or to finance terrorist acts, and reiterates the importance of combating terrorism in Afghanistan, including those individuals and entities designated pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999), and notes the Taliban’s relevant commitments.”
India began its Presidency with a high-level signature event on maritime security presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, first time the Prime Minister of India chaired the Security Council. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar chaired the two other signature events — on Peacekeeping and Technology on August 18, 2021 and the briefing on ISIL/Da’esh on August 19, 2021.
Also for the first time, the Security Council held an Open Debate focused exclusively on how technology can aid in peacekeeping and for the first time, the Security Council adopted a Presidential Statement on the topic of technology and peacekeeping.
