India Votes Against UN Climate Change and Conflict Draft Resolution

14-12-2021

Laetitia Wilms van Kersbergen

India and Human Rights Researcher,

Global Human Rights Defence.

India has voted against the draft United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that would enable the UNSC to link climate change with conflict (resolution) discussions. The resolution would create the possibility for the Security Council to take up routine discussions on climate change and assess its impact on peace and conflict.[1]

The draft, sponsored by Niger and Ireland, did not pass after both India and Russia voted against the resolution, and China abstained from voting.[2] The central goal of the draft was to request the Secretary-General to integrate climate-related security risks into the “comprehensive conflict-prevention strategies of the United Nations”.[3] This would contribute to a reduction of conflict risk due to the effects of climate change. The vote by India, and a veto by the Russian Federation, sank the years-long attempt to recognise global warning as a threat to international peace and security.[4] 

India argues that the draft resolution is an attempt to shift climate talks away from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and towards the UNSC, which would be a “step backward” for collective action on the prevention and mitigation of climate change.[5] Mr. Tirumurti, India’s Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations, stated that if the UNSC would take on this responsibility, few states would have a “free hand in deciding on all climate-related issues”, which would be “neither desirable nor acceptable”.[6] 

Moreover, India has argued that this resolution would undermine the progress made during COP26 in November, and that developing nations had been working to make “common, but differentiated” responsibilities a core element of climate action. This draft resolution, however, would only further help developed countries to evade responsibility for climate change by shifting the focus away from their lack of action under the UNFCCC,[7] and this handover of responsibility to a body that does not work on the basis of consensus, nor is reflective of developing nations’ interests, would clearly work against the goals set to fight climate change.[8]

Notes:

[1] Amitabh Sinha, ‘India votes against move to enable climate change discussions at Security Council’ The Indian Express (14 December 2021) <https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-votes-against-move-to-enable-climate-change-talks-at-security-council-7671554/> last accessed 14 December 2021.

[2] UNSC Meetings Coverage, ‘Security Council Fails to Adopt Resolution Integrating Climate-Related Security Risk into Conflict-Prevention Strategies’ UNSC Press Releases (14 December 2021) <https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sc14732.doc.htm> last accessed on 14 December 2021.

[3] Ibid.

[4] AP, ‘Russia and India veto UN resolution linking climate change and security’ EuroNews (14 December 2021) <https://www.euronews.com/2021/12/14/russia-and-india-veto-un-resolution-linking-climate-change-and-security> last accessed on 14 December 2021.

[5] Sriram Lakshman, ‘India votes against U.N. draft resolution on climate change’ The Hindu (14 December 2021) <https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/india-votes-against-un-draft-resolution-on-climate-change/article37950604.ece> last accessed on 14 December 2021.

[6] Amitabh Sinha, ‘India votes against move to enable climate change discussions at Security Council’ The Indian Express (14 December 2021) <https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-votes-against-move-to-enable-climate-change-talks-at-security-council-7671554/> last accessed 14 December 2021.

[7] Ibid.

[8] UNSC Meetings Coverage, ‘Security Council Fails to Adopt Resolution Integrating Climate-Related Security Risk into Conflict-Prevention Strategies’ UNSC Press Releases (14 December 2021) <https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sc14732.doc.htm> last accessed on 14 December 2021.

Sources and further reading:

NDTV, ‘India Highlights Terrorism, Climate Change At UN Security Council Debate’ NDTV (10 December 2021) <https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/india-highlights-terrorism-climate-change-at-un-security-council-debate-2644807> last accessed on 14 December 2021.

NDTV, ‘India Votes Against UN Draft Resolution On Climate Change. Here's Why’ NDTV (13 December 2021) <https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/india-votes-against-un-draft-resolution-on-climate-change-heres-why-2649672> last accessed on 14 December 2021.

UNSC Meetings Coverage, ‘People, Countries Impacted by Climate Change Also Vulnerable to Terrorist Recruitment, Violence, Speakers Tell Security Council in Open Debate’ UNSC Press Releases (9 December 2021) <https://www.un.org/press/en/2021/sc14728.doc.htm> last accessed on 14 December 2021.