Narendra Modi to be the first Indian Prime Minister to chair UNSC debate: Here’s all you need to know

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will chair the high-level open debate on ‘Enhancing Maritime Security – A Case for International Cooperation’ on August 9 at United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Sunday.

An MEA statement said that the meeting, through video conferencing slated for 5.30 pm IST, will focus on ways to effectively counter maritime crime and insecurity and strengthening coordination in the maritime domain.

PM Narendra Modi would be the first Indian Prime Minister to preside over a UN Security Council Open Debate, the statement added.

“PM Modi would be the first Indian Prime Minister to preside over a UN Security Council Open Debate,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.

The meeting is expected to be attended by several Heads of State and Government of member states of the UNSC, and high-level briefers from the UN System and key regional organizations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin are among several world leaders who will participate in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on maritime security conducted at the initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Other dignitaries who are expected to participate in tomorrow’s event to be held via video conferencing are the President of Niger Mohamed Bazoum, the President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh, the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Felix Tshisekedi and the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The UN Security Council has discussed and passed resolutions on different aspects of maritime security and maritime crime. However, this will be the first time that maritime security will be discussed in a holistic manner as an exclusive agenda item in such a high-level open debate.

“Given that no country alone can address the diverse aspects of maritime security, it is important to consider this subject in a holistic manner in the United Nations Security Council. A comprehensive approach to Maritime Security should protect and support legitimate maritime activities while countering traditional and non-traditional threats in the maritime domain,” the MEA said.

The Oceans have played an important part in India’s history right from the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. Based on our civilizational ethos that sees the seas as an enabler of shared peace and prosperity, Prime Minister Modi put forward the vision of SAGAR – an acronym for ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’ in 2015.

This vision focuses on cooperative measures for sustainable use of the oceans and provides a framework for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain in the region.

“In 2019, at the East Asia Summit, this initiative was further elaborated through the Indo-Pacific Oceans’ Initiative (IPOI) with a focus on seven pillars of maritime security including Maritime Ecology; Maritime Resources; Capacity Building and Resource Sharing; Disaster Risk Reduction and Management; Science, Technology and Academic Cooperation; and Trade Connectivity and Maritime Transport,” the MEA release said.