SPECIAL REPORT: UNITED NATIONS AT 75 THE COMMONWEALTH AND THE UN
THE UNITED NATIONS AND ITS IMPACT IN COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES: A VIEW FROM THE SPEAKER OF INDIA'S LOK SABHA Established in 1945 to usher in a new World Order in a world faced with damnation and ruination after two great wars, the United Nations is completing 75 years of glorious service as a multilateral platform for the comity of nations later this year. Over these seven and a half decades, through its untiring initiatives and endeavours, it has reaffirmed the faith of the international community in peaceful coexistence, international cooperation, justice and human rights including the dignity of the individual. The United Nations Organization stands testimony to the shared values and interests of countries in a globalized world order and their ability to cooperate for the mutual benefit of all. The UN Charter provides and employs the international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all people.1 It seeks to promote and encourage respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction of race, sex, language, or religion. It has sought to promote social progress and a better standard of living for people across the world. The UN provided the hope of self-determination to millions of subjugated people across the globe particularly those suffering from the colonial yoke. India, being one of the 26 original signatories to the United Nations Declaration was also among the 51 original founding member states who signed the UN Charter in San Francisco, USA on 26 June 1945, based on which the UN came into being on 24 October 1945. The Commonwealth in its previous avatars predates the UN. However, the formal Commonwealth of Independent Countries also emerged around the same time as the UN in 1949. The 1949 London Declaration made it clear that republics and other countries could be part of the Commonwealth.2 The decision to retain the Commonwealth membership was one of independent India's first major foreign policy decisions. It was not only a defining moment in the evolution of the Commonwealth but also opened the door for a larger role for India in international politics. Presently, more than half of Commonwealth countries have a republican form of government.
There is a lot of commonality between the Commonwealth Charter and the objectives set out in the UN Charter. The UN and the modern Commonwealth are both more than 70 years old and are committed to promoting international peace and security, human rights and sustainable development. Both seek to protect and preserve Mother Earth. Time and again, the Commonwealth has expressed its solidarity with the UN and a commitment to its Charter. The 1951 Declaration by the Commonwealth Prime Ministers succinctly sums up this convergence - "Our support of the United Nations needs no re-affirmation. The Commonwealth and the United Nations are not inconsistent bodies. On the contrary, the existence of the Commonwealth, linked together by the ties of friendship, common purpose and common endeavour, is a source of power behind the Charter.�3 The Declaration of Commonwealth Principles Singapore, 1971 states: "We believe that international co-operation is essential to remove the causes of war, promote tolerance, combat injustice, and secure development among the peoples of the world; we are convinced that the Commonwealth is one of the most fruitful associations for these purposes." It further says: "We believe that international peace and order are essential to the security and prosperity of mankind; we therefore support the United Nations and seek to strengthen its influence for peace in the world, and its efforts to remove the causes of tension between nations.�4 Concerned at the diminishing capacity of international institutions to play an effective role in world affairs, the Commonwealth Heads of Government, in their historic 1983 Goa Declaration5, pledged renewed support for the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The Commonwealth is strongly anchored on the principles contained in the 1991 Harare Declaration.6 Today, the Commonwealth has become an ideal platform for its members to communicate, share ideas, experiences and best practices and co-ordinate activities despite differences in cultures, traditions and
Hon. Shri Om Birla was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 17th Lok Sabha in the Parliament of India on 19 June 2019. He has been a Member of Parliament for Kota-Bundi parliamentary constituency since 2014. He was previously a Member of the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha (Provincial Assembly) from 2003 to 2014. He has held positions with the youth wing of his party, Bhartiya Janta Yuva Morcha, as National Vice President, State President and District President. He completed his Master of Commerce at Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University.
226 | The Parliamentarian | 2020: Issue Three | 100 years of publishing 1920-2020
