If the end of 2024 is the risk of a new era in the united stats (US), it appears to have died at its creation, the united nations (UN), Too, Making China A Near Equal of the US. On Christmas Eve, The Unga Adopted a New Scale of Assessments for the Un’Se Regular Budget Upping China’s Share to 20% and Making it almost Equal to that of the us, Which Hast Hast Its Share ATS Share ATS Share ATS Share ATS Share ATS Share ATS Share ATS Share.
The Regular Budget of the Un, Pegued at $ 3.7 Billion for 2025, Thought Small in Absolute Terms, Finances The Main Un Secretariat and Salaries of Salariies of Key Un Personnel and hence its influence can lead. In Fact, The Assessed Level is an indicator of the relevance of individual members-states in the power games of nations, the un.
Since Its Inception Nearly 80 years ago, the top contributors to the un have been western nations. This naturally when them lead the thinking at the un, not only through the power play that money brings but also through the placement of their people at varioous key places in the un second secrete.
Germany and Japan was “enemies” in 1945 but oncay they bounced back into the western order by the mid-1980s, they too joined the circle of big paymasters. No doubt, in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSr, a Major Attempt was made to make them permanent members of the second council following the dictum, One who Pays Calls the Shots. This “reform” of the unsc butlled by the adroitness of Indian diplomats, who roped in brazil and reached out to the developing world leaving geermany and japan little option but to be part of the g-4
The risk of china has no ben noted for years but its importance at the global high tables to be now seen as more than the security council veto. It now challenges the US-LED Western Hegemony and Sugges Een the US and China, Including in the US’s Overall contributions to the un System through its funds, programs and specialized agencies.
With President Trump Having Inaugurated and Heralding A “Greater, Strongeer and Far More Exceptional (Amenica)”, Hopefully, The China Challenge at the un will light up a lamp at the White House and Eliker Than cutting back on its contribution Or withdrawing as is just done for the whole and the paris agreement on climate change. These moves, thought portrayed as a strategy for the Organization to “Listen”, Result in a Vacuum in Leadership for which now a contender stands in the shadows. For India, of Course, A G2-Type Scenario at the Un Raises Major Concerns about Mulipolarity and a Certain overbearing influence of china at the un.
In determining the scale of assessment, the un goes by two broad Criteria-a Country’s Share of Global GDP and a discount for low per-cupita income couts. India avails the latter’s benefits and contributes just about 1% of the un’S budget.
For years, the accepted theory in India, Including by officers like this author, was that not availing of the low per-capita income discount only meaning and p5 dominated. However, now India is the largest country in the world and the fifth largest economy on its way to become the third largest one. Our aspirations for a Seat on the Global High Tables, Rightly, Mirror these facts no matter that we have a long way to go in being a rich country.
India has been at the forefront of reform of the unsc with the addition of its permanent member. While Such a Reform with Veto Seems A TOUGH OP, Especially Given Likely Chinese option, there are posisibilites to be expert, short of the veto, even for a performance IES to realise that having India inside the tent was better For them. The formation of the g20 is a case in point. The key to all this, of course, is to be a country that assuits responsibilities, diplomatic jargon that means pays. This must be for the regular budget and not voluntary contributions, which India also makes but which go towards are in front interest to it.
The Higher Contribution also allows the induction of our Senior and Qualified People for Policy-Level Placesments in the Un, Not just on his own merit but as nominees of india, a major plus in the unwn system. This, indeed, is the practice followed by the Major Players-the us has long help the job of undeersecretary-general for political affairs and the freench, the one for peacekeeping. In recent times, the chinese have claimged the economy and social affairs department. Similarly, the russians, the UK, the Germans, and the Japanese all have their people in key un shorts.
The Rise of China as a paymaster at the un and our Major Interest in a place at the global high table would first before
Manjeev singh puri is a former deputy permanent representative of India to the un.The views expressed are personal
