India beats China in UN election
November 23rd, 2011 - 10:13 pm ICT by IANSUnited Nations, Nov 23 (IANS) In a keenly watched election in the United Nations General Assembly, India has squarely beaten China to win a seat on the Joint Inspection Unit, the UN’s oversight body, for a five-year term starting Jan 1, 2013.
India’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva, A. Gopinathan, Tuesday defeated Zhang Yan, the controversial Chinese ambassador to India by 106 votes to 77 in a straight contest.
China, which has held the Asian seat without a break for the last 10 years, had put up Zhang, who has another claim to fame in India. A few weeks ago, he is reported to have told a journalist in New Delhi to “shut up” about cartographic aggression on India by commercial entities in Beijing.
India has served only once on the JIU, 35 years ago, from 1968 to 1977. Japan is the only other Asian country on the powerful body that has the responsibility for the oversight of the UN.
Although the contest between India, an aspirant for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, and China, one of the “Big Five” in the council, is seen as “historic”, diplomats suggested that New Delhi had only chosen to contest on the assumption that China would not seek re-election as per convention.
But China, which is serving a second five-year term ending Dec 31, 2012 instead of bowing out in favour of another state from the same geographical area, sought re-election for the third time at the last minute and New Delhi decided to stay in the contest.
Earlier, Gopinathan was India’s deputy permanent representative in New York from January 2002 to September 2005. He has also served as joint secretary (UN) from August 1997 to December 2001 at the ministry of external affairs in New Delhi.
The JIU is a standing subsidiary organ of the General Assembly with a mandate covering the United Nations, its separately administered Funds and Programmes, and the Specialised Agencies that have accepted its Statute. It is composed of not more than eleven Inspectors serving for a term of five years, renewable once.
- India backs re-election of Ban Ki-moon as UN chief - Jun 07, 2011
- Pakistan set to assume UNSC seat - Jan 01, 2012
- Ban Ki-moon nominated to top UN post for second term - Jun 18, 2011
- Five new UNSC members begin their term - Jan 02, 2012
- Non-permanent UNSC seat a step forward: Krishna (Lead) - Oct 13, 2010
- India confident of 150 votes in Security Council bid - Aug 16, 2010
- G4 countries push for Security Council expansion - Feb 12, 2011
- Pakistan joins India on UN Security Council - Oct 22, 2011
- Pakistan thanks India for helping it to UNSC seat - Oct 29, 2011
- China backs Pakistan for UNSC seat - Oct 19, 2011
- Victorious India to step up quest for permanent UNSC (Second Lead) - Oct 13, 2010
- India wins non-permanant Security Council seat (Lead, changing dateline) - Oct 12, 2010
- India's Narinder Singh elected to International Law Commission - Nov 18, 2011
- 15 countries elected to UN Human Rights Council - May 21, 2011
- India to focus on UN peacekeeping during presidency - Aug 03, 2011
Tags: aggression, asian country, aspirant, august 1997, chinese ambassador, claim to fame, commercial entities, diplomats, favour, geographical area, ministry of external affairs, New Delhi, oversight body, specialised agencies, straight contest, subsidiary organ, third time, un security council, united nations general assembly, zhang yan