India’s Position on UN’s Role in Global Order

• India’s decision not to associate with a UN letter supporting UN Secretary-General António Guterres and criticizing Israel’s ban on him is a cause for concern.
• The letter, circulated by Chile, reposed faith in the UN and its top officials after the Israeli Foreign Minister accused them of bias.
• Israel’s actions have been a significant assault on the UN system, with Israel targeting UNRWA, an organization India supports, and attacking UNIFIL, a UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
• The ban on Guterres follows Iran’s October 1 missile attacks on Israel, and Israel Foreign Minister Israel Katz accused Guterres of not condemning them “unequivocally.”
• The letter, signed by 104 nations and the African Union, and another by 34 UN peacekeeping nations, is seen as a sign of unease in the Global South and Europe with Israel’s attacks on the world body.
• India’s Ministry of External Affairs has chosen to stay safe, expressing no criticism of Israeli action against the UN.
• India’s close bilateral ties with Israel may be seen as an exercise of’realpolitik’ restraint, but the importance of the UN-based international rule of law and global order cannot be ignored.