UN Security Council Open Debate:

Cooperation between the UN and the Regional and Sub-Regional Organizations in Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Cooperation between the United Nations

and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)

[16 February; 1100 hrs)

Remarks by Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti

Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations

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Thank you, Mme. President.

At the outset, I would like to welcome Deputy Minister Sergey Vershinin today and congratulate you for organizing this meeting on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations, with a specific focus on the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO). I fondly recall the visit to New Delhi of Deputy Minister Sergey Vershinin a fortnight ago and his meetings with our leadership. I thank UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and CSTO Secretary General Stanislav Zas for their comprehensive briefings today. I welcome the presence of CSTO member-states (Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan) in today’s meeting. I also take this opportunity to congratulate CSTO, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its establishment this year.

2. Chapter VIII of the UN Charter ascribes a special role to the regional organizations for dealing with matters relating to the maintenance of international peace and security. In fact, Article 52 of the UN Charter encourages settlements of disputes through regional arrangements or by regional agencies. Regional and sub-regional organizations, have time and again shown how important their role is in the maintenance of international peace and security. They have an important role in settlement of disputes, especially in conflict situations. Because of their deep knowledge of local factors and complexities, regional and sub-regional organizations are uniquely placed to provide better solutions to conflicts in their regions. We, therefore, support active engagement between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations, and in line with the Charter of the UN.

3. The world order that we inherited following the Second World War has seen a complete transformation. Similarly, the threats that the member states were faced with when the UN was founded 75 years ago have also changed substantially. Contemporary security challenges like terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking, transnational crime, pandemics etc. transcend physical or political boundaries. To effectively tackle such diverse challenges, we need coordinated and concerted actions across borders. Enhanced cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organizations can therefore be useful in this regard.

4. Today, the regional organizations have become more assertive and member states have reposed faith increasingly in their actions. This has brought positive synergy to the actions of the United Nations and Security Council.

5. India notes the ongoing cooperation between the UN and CSTO based on 2010 Joint Declaration. The United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia has also contributed further to strengthening of cooperation on issues of shared interest and concern, mainly terrorism, violent extremism, and drug trafficking.

Mme. President,

6. Central Asia is central to India’s vision of an integrated and stable extended neighborhood. The diplomatic relations between India and Central Asian countries have completed 30 meaningful years. On this occasion, Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi hosted the first ever India-Central Asia Summit in virtual format on 27 January 2022. The Summit was symbolic of the importance attached by the leaders of India and the Central Asian countries to a comprehensive and enduring India-Central Asia partnership.

7. In the spirit of our development partnership with Central Asian region, India has just offered, inter alia, US$ 1 billion Line of Credit for priority developmental projects. India is also providing grant assistance for implementation of High Impact Community Development Projects (HICDP) for furthering socio-economic development in the countries of the region. We have created India-Central Asia Dialogue platform for strengthening cooperation between India and the Central Asian countries. India’s steps to modernize the infrastructure of the Chabahar port in Iran, which will become an important link in trade and transport communications between the markets of Central and South Asia, has been appreciated by Central Asian countries. India welcomes the interest of Central Asian countries to utilize the services of Chabahar Port. This port has now emerged as a commercial transit hub for the region. In the context of UN peacekeeping, India also has co-deployment of Kazakh troops within the Indian battalion in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), reflecting our longstanding partnership.

8. The developments in Afghanistan will have wider ramifications to the Central Asia region, particularly the possible growth in international terrorism and drug trafficking emanating from the Afghan territory. UNSCR 2593 reflects the expectations of the international community that Afghan soil should not be used for sheltering, training, planning, or financing terrorist acts. The international community need to take cognizance of the concerns which Central Asian countries have on developments in Afghanistan.

9. Let me conclude, by reiterating our strong support for cooperation between the UN and regional organizations. In the current difficult circumstances caused globally by the Covid-19 pandemic, the UN and its agencies should continue to work closely with regional organizations to ensure resilient supply chains of medicines and vaccines. We believe that this partnership is important to promote global peace and development.

I thank you.

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