India votes against decision on climate change debate at Security Council
As expected, India on Monday voted against a draft resolution seeking to create a formal space for climate changerelated discussions at the UN Security Council. The resolution fell through following a veto from Russia.
India and Russia were the only countries to have opposed the draft resolution; China abstained.
The draft resolution, sponsored by Ireland and Nigeria, sought to enable the Security Council to take up routine discussions on climate change from the perspective of its impact on peace and conflicts worldwide. As of now, the appropriate UN forum to discuss all matters on climate change is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), whose more than 190 members meet multiple times every year, including at a twoweek annual conference towards the end of the year.
One of the little-discussed aspects of climate change is its impact on international peace and security, the direct impact of climate-induced food and water shortages, loss of land or livelihoods, or migration. Supporters and supporters of the draft resolution argued that it would be desirable for the Security Council to address the issue as it would affect UN field missions deployed to maintain peace and security.
India, China and Russia opposed the move from the beginning, arguing that the Security Council’s intervention on climate change would undermine the UNFCCC process and disproportionately affect a small number of developed countries on climate change decisions.
India explained its decision to oppose the draft resolution, saying that the UNFCCC had already proposed a “thoughtful and equitable architecture” that had an equal voice for each country and adequately recognized the “national conditions” of each country.
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“It (UNFCCC process) responds to both the urgent needs of developing countries and the commitments of developed countries. It seeks a balance between mitigation, adaptation, financing, technology, transfer, capacity building etc. In effect, it takes a holistic view of combating climate change which is equitable and fair,” India`s permanent representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti, said.
“We, therefore, need to ask ourselves what is it that we can collectively do under this draft resolution which we cannot achieve under the UNFCCC process,” Tirumurti said. “Why is it that one needs a UN Security Council resolution to take action on climate change when we have commitments made under UNFCCC towards concrete climate action? The honest answer is that there is no real requirement for this resolution except for the purpose of bringing climate change under the ambit of Security Council, and the reason for that is now decisions can be taken without involvement of most developing countries and without recognising consensus.”
“And all this can be done in the name of preserving international peace and security,”.
“So let us be clear about the issues. Today, climate change decisions are sought to be taken out of the wider international community represented in the UNFCCC and given instead to the Security Council,” he said. “Ironically, many UNSC members are the main contributors of climate change due to historical emissions. If the Security Council indeed takes over the responsibility on this issue, a few states will then have a free hand in deciding on all climate related issues. This is clearly neither desirable nor acceptable.”
Tirumurti said the draft resolution had the potential to “sow the seeds of discord among the larger UN membership”.
He said: “This draft resolution is a step back from our common resolve to fight climate change. We want to delegate this responsibility to institutions that do not operate according to consensus and do not reflect the interests of developing countries.”
