India raises UNSC role in Afghanistan peace process

The Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Tuesday called for a peace process in war-ridden Afghanistan while criticising the United Nations Security Council for its inability to handle the contemporary security challenges.

Swaraj reiterated the need for bringing reforms in the UNSC to be able to respond to the ever-evolving security challenges in the world while focusing on the security challenges faced in the war-ridden areas including Afghanistan.

“Since 2008, the international community has carefully nurtured the ongoing Inter-Governmental Negotiations at the UN to take our discussions on UNSC reforms forward. An overwhelming majority of members have expressed their desire to see these negotiations continue on the basis of a text.” Swaraj said.

She said that reforms in the United Nations will be incomplete without reforms in the UNSC, adding that the latter needs to be representative of the contemporary realities.

“This to my mind is the most urgent task before us on this important UN agenda,” she added.

Earlier Swaraj urged the UNSC to take action against such states which encourage, support and finance terrorism. Sushma Swaraj is on a two-nation visit to China and Mongolia.