India: Explained: Why Did India Reject UNSC Draft on Climate?

Dec 19, 2021 | Suhasini Haidar, The Hindu
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On December 13, India joined Russia in opposing a draft proposal at the United Nations Security Council which would effectively bring climate change in the Security Council’s purview, allowing it to enforce and hold countries accountable for their promises to mitigate global warming. The proposal was sponsored by Niger and Ireland, who claimed that 113 countries, which included permanent Security Council members U.S., the U.K., and France, backed their view to integrate climate-related security risks into the UNSC’s conflict prevention mandate. However, after a heated debate and a strong counter by Indian Permanent Representative T.S.Tirumurti, the proposal was vetoed by Russia, and the UNSC recorded 12 in favour, 2 against as well as an abstention from China.