India presses for UNSC reforms; India will closely work with BASIC on climate negotiations; UN mission in Libya extended till March 2012; UN Security Council condemns attacks on UK embassy in Iran; India asks Israel to stop building settlements in occupie
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  • Reports noted that making a pitch for urgent reform of the UN Security Council, India said that the common refrain among countries is that the world can no longer be subjugated to the mercies of a ‘woefully inadequate system’ that was established more than half a century ago. India’s representative Hardeep Singh Puri stated that expansion and reform is ‘essential’ and must be pursued with ‘renewed vigour and urgently enacted’.1

    Meanwhile, according to reports, in this year’s UN climate negotiations, India will work closely with BASIC group and other like-minded countries to ensure that its three agenda issues – equity, intellectual property on green technologies and unilateral trade barriers become central to the Durban climate talks. India will push for an unconditional acceptance of the second phase of Kyoto Protocol by the rich countries and would not undertake any legally binding targets at this stage of its development.2

    In another development, the UN Security Council extended the mandate of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 16 March, 2012. The mission was originally mandated to support the National Transitional Council in its reconstruction efforts after the end of the conflict. With the extension, the mission will perform additional functions of coordinating and consulting with the transitional government of Libya, assisting and supporting Libyan national efforts to address the threats of proliferation of all arms and related material.3

    Meanwhile, the Council strongly condemned the against the UK embassy in Tehran which resulted in intrusions into diplomatic and consular premises and caused serious damage. The Council also recalled the responsibility of the host country in taking all appropriate steps to protect diplomatic and consular premises.4

    In a statement at the UN Security Council on the ‘Situation in the Middle East’, India’s envoy to the UNSC, Hardeep Puri asked Israel to stop settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories and asked it to release the tax revenue to the Palestinian Authority. 5
    According to reports, India was re-elected to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), a body under the UN Human Rights system, for a three-year term beginning January 20, 2012. 6

    In the interim, the arms embargo and other sanctions placed against armed rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo were extended by another year till 30 November, 2012. 7

    In other developments, the Security Council congratulated the people of Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for their participation in the country’s presidential and legislative elections and called it a demonstration of their commitment to democracy. 8 In another development, according to reports, the Security Council welcomed the new political agreement in Yemen and the mechanism to implement it. It also stressed that the deal must be strictly implemented to end unrest and restore stability in the country. 9

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