Rajeesh Kumar replies: It is true that India is neither a party to the United Nations Refugee Convention and nor have a national refugee protection framework. However, lack of a specific legal framework does not mean that the country was in a dilemma whenever a refugee crisis arose. India dealt with multiple refugee crises and hosted refugees from several countries including Tibet, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iraq. At present, India is host to around 300,000 refugees from more than 25 countries.

Arpita Anant replies: First, a point of clarification. In the realm of security, the United Nations (UN) continues to retain a predominantly inter-governmental character, thus giving more space for states to act and in some instances even influence certain matters. India and those representing it, therefore, too have some space and opportunity to influence the working of the Charter system. However, Indians in the UN system/bureaucracy and those who are members of the UN panels must be treated separately.

Arpita Anant replies: The decision of the UN General Assembly to adopt text-based negotiations on the “question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and related matters” is significant because it has established that a majority of the nations agree on the principle of reform. Also, it has helped clarify the positions of particular nations and/or groups of nations on this important subject.