UN Security Council to hold meeting over Kashmir

In an exceptionally rare meeting of the United Nation Security Council, the body had decided to convene a closed-door meeting of its members to discuss Kashmir issue.

What has happened?

• Poland, which is currently the holder of the council presidency, has listed the Kashmir matter for discussion before the UNSC.
• The UNSC meeting holds tremendous significance as the UN Security Council has rarely called a meeting to discuss the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
• The last UN meeting about Jammu & Kashmir was held in 1965.
• However, global political experts and diplomats have refused to call the latest UNSC meeting as a full security meeting. Rather, they have pointed out that it is a closed-door consultation between the nations.
• Of late, the closed-door format of the meetings has gained more popularity in the UNSC.

?Why is this happening?

• The Indian Government had abrogated the Article 35A and scrapped Article 370 which gave special privileges to the state of Jammu & Kashmir.
• It further bifurcated the territory into two Union Territories- Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
• Jammu & Kashmir has been a disputed territory between India and Pakistan since the nations got independence from the British in 1947.
• While isolated globally, Pakistan decided to mark India’s day of Independence as a “Black Day” to condemn India’s Kashmir move.
• The latest move of Pakistan in the UNSC clearly shows that India will have to continue to fight Pakistan diplomatically as while India strictly considers Kashmir a bilateral issue, Pakistan has no qualms in running to the global bodies to resolve the issue.

United Nations Security Council

• The UNSC is the apex body of the United Nations when it comes to deciding military actions, interventions and peacekeeping operations in the world.
• While it has a total of 15 members- 5 members (US, UK, France, PRC, and Russia) hold a permanent seat with veto power, 10 other states are elected from amongst the members of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Presidency of the UNSC is rotated amongst the members of the Security Council.