Modi first Indian Prime Minister to preside over UN Security Council meeting: Syed Akbaruddin

In a tweet, the former envoy to UN wrote, “A first in the making…With India as President of @UNSecurity Council in August, an Indian Prime Minister may perhaps preside, albeit virtually, a Council meeting for 1st time on 9 August 2021”.

Syed Akbaruddin, who’s presently Dean of Kautilya School of Public Policy, stated that in over 75 years, this is the first time Indian political leadership has invested in presiding over an event of the 15-member UN body and this depicts that the country’s leadership wants to lead from the front.

“This is our eighth stint on the UNSC but in the 75 years, this is the first time that our political leadership has invested in presiding over an event of the security council,” Akbaruddin stated.

The last time an Indian PM was engaged in this effort was the then PM PV Narasimha Rao in 1992 when he attended a UNSC meeting, he added.

India on Sunday assumed the presidency of the U.S.. Ambassador of India to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti stated India took over the presidency from France.

India stated it is organising three high-level signature meetings focusing on our priority areas–maritime security, peacekeeping, and counter-terrorism.

This is India’s first presidency in the U.S. during its 2021-22 tenure as a non-permanent member of the U.S.. The 2-year tenure of India as a non-permanent member of the U.S. started on January 1, 2021.

The first working day of India’s presidency will be on Monday, August 2 when Tirumurti will hold a hybrid press briefing in the UN headquarters on the Council’s programme of work for the month.