When India ran against Japan for a non-permanent seat in the 15-member UN Security Council in October 1996, it suffered a humiliating defeat. The vote was a whopping 142 for Japan and a measly 40 for India in a General Assembly of 191 member states. By UN standards, it was a monumental political disaster. Japan, on the other hand, using its economic clout and increased aid pledges, succeeded in garnering more votes at the expense of India.

But as one of the world’s nuclear powers and a self-styled superpower in the region, India redeemed itself when it was recently elected to the new Human Rights Council with the highest number of votes for the Asian slate of candidates: 173, compared with Bangladesh (160), Pakistan (149) and Sri Lanka (123).

Asked for his comments, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Nirupam Sen told an Indian reporter rather gleefully: “It is poetic justice that the largest democracy should have the largest pool of votes.” Some diplomats viewed the elections for the Council as a political barometer for the proposed expansion of the Security Council: a proposal that is currently in limbo because of sharp division among the member states.

All four countries aspiring for permanent seats in the Security Council — India, Brazil, Japan and Germany — were elected to the Council. India received the largest number of votes compared with Brazil (165), Japan (158) and Germany (154).

But still, the proposal for an expansion of the permanent membership of the Security Council has failed to get off the ground. If both Japan and India fail to get permanent seats, the long time speculation at the UN was that either of the two countries may be interested in fielding candidates for the post of UN secretary-general, since it is believed that it is Asia’s turn this time to head the world body.

Japan remains tight-lipped. But not surprisingly, the Indian government is expected to announce in New Delhi Thursday that it will support Shashi Tharoor, UN under-secretary-general for communications and public information, as its candidate for the post of secretary-general. The job falls vacant December 31 when incumbent Kofi Annan leaves after his two-term, 10-year tenure in office.

Tharoor, the highest ranking Indian in the world body, has worked in the UN since 1978, has a PhD from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, US, and is author of several novels, including The Great Indian Novel.

So far, the three declared Asian candidates are: Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala of Sri Lanka, Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Surakiart Sathirathai and South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon.

India’s interest could also trigger a negative response from its longstanding political rival and neighbour: Pakistan. According to one political source, the Pakistani government may well nominate its own candidate merely as a political irritant to India’s candidature. The unknown factor is the Chinese veto. Although China has continuously reaffirmed its support for an Asian as the next UN chief, it may have second thoughts about an Indian secretary-general, particularly at a time when Washington is strengthening its relationship with India as a political and military counterweight to Beijing. There is no love lost between India and China. — IPS