Club Lunch: Can the UN Security Council Survive a New Cold War?

There are concerns that the world is witnessing the beginning of a new Cold War. While the U.N. Security Council survived the first Cold War, will it survive a modern equivalent in a globalized world? Mr. Sinha will draw upon his experience to highlight, in his opinion, the incapacitation of the Council by its permanent five members who he will argue have aggressively strengthened their global dominance and protected their spheres of influence. Sinha feels that this has hindered the Council’s ability to maintain international peace and security and tarnished the UN’s credibility.

Dilip Sinha was head of India’s UN affairs during its membership of the Security Council (2011-2012). He served as Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, where he was elected Vice President of the UN Human Rights Council and Vice Chairman of the South Centre. Sinha steered India’s response to the crises in Libya and Syria in the Security Council and to Sri Lanka in the Human Rights Council. During his diplomatic career, Sinha headed India’s relations with Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran, and served in the Prime Minister’s Office during the term of P.V. Narasimha Rao. He is the author of Legitimacy of Power – The Permanence of Five in the Security Council.