UNSC's utility?

It is a foregone conclusion that the UN Security Council resolutions are infected with non-implementation. The realpolitik decorum at work in the elite club is subservient to coercion at the hands of veto-wielding powers. The Council's credibility is thus at stake, and it is rendered as a mere debating forum sans authority and effectiveness. This crucial aspect was brought to the fore by China and Pakistan during an informal UNSC session recently, with member states urged to ensure full, effective, and non-selective implementation of its resolutions.

Undeniably, invoking the concept of jus cogens under international law is essential to transforming the UNSC into an effective forum for dispute resolution. It is recent history that major powers have gone to wars, invaded smaller countries and destabilised their socio-political infrastructure, making a mockery of many of the binding UNSC resolutions. Thus, the Sino-Pak initiative rightly called for resolutions accompanied by "realistic mandates, clear implementation pathways, sustained reporting, adequate resources, political will and follow-up mechanisms" to translate the consensual dictums into practical action on the ground.

Pakistan's envoy also flagged the crisis of confidence at the UNSC as Kashmir and Palestine have been simmering for eight decades, simply awaiting implementation of the UNSC resolutions. These and many such flashpoints continue to endure humanitarian crises born directly out of longstanding, unresolved disputes. Thus, the joint submission was realistic in essence as it called for "actionable and sustained diplomacy", regular reviews, timely reporting and adequate resources. The thrust was also to underscore Beijing and Islamabad's unanimity and their commitment to multilateralism, and to make the world body an organic entity, per se.

This huddle has come as an opportunity to reflect on global governance that is increasingly characterised by the institutional fragmentation and loss of trust. Taking a cue from President Xi Jinping, it's time to reform the Western-led international system by championing state sovereignty, multipolarity, and dialogue over coercion.