PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP IN UNSC
LOK SABHA
The issue of the
UN playing a more significant role in Iraq has not come up before
the UN General Assembly. However, the UN Security Council adopted
Resolutions 1483 (on 22 May, 2003) and 1511 (on 16 October, 2003)
which state that the UN should play a vital role in Iraq.
UN Security Council
Resolutions 1483 and 1511 affirm that the UN should play a vital
role in Iraq, including in areas like provision of humanitarian
relief, economic reconstruction and advancement of efforts to
restore and establish institutions of representative government
in Iraq. India has welcomed both these resolutions since they
envisage a vital role for the UN in the post-war rebuilding of
Iraq; reaffirm the sovereignty of Iraq and mark a positive step
towards the restoration of sovereignty to the Iraqi people.
A trilateral meeting
of the Foreign Ministers of India, Russia and China was held on
23 September, 2003 on the margins of the 58th session
of the UN General Assembly in New York. Several issues of international
concern were discussed including the situation in Iraq. There
was a broad convergence of ideas with regard to certain aspects.
The three sides expressed the view that the UN should have a more
substantive and comprehensive role in the political and reconstruction
process in Iraq. Agreeing that what was needed was a political
rather than a military solution to the crisis, they emphasized
the need for a clear road-map to restore sovereignty to the Iraqi
people and the right of the Iraqi people to determine their political
future.
This information
was give by the Union Minister of State for External Affairs,
Shri Digvijay Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
