Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Wrong forum: On climate change and the UNSC

Wrong forum: On climate change and the UNSC

The attempt to securitise the climate change agenda could have unintended consequences

India’s negative vote at the UN Security Council (UNSC) (संयुक्त राष्ट्र सुरक्षा परिषद) on a draft resolution on climate change (जलवायु परिवर्तन) is a reflection (प्रतिबिम्ब, संकेत, प्रदर्शन) of its long-held (deep-rooted, well-established, traditional, fixed) opposition to expanding the UNSC’s mandate (शासनकाल, अध्यादेश) into areas that are already being dealt with by other multinational fora (मंच, सभा, सम्मेलन). The resolution, piloted (test, trial, examine) by Ireland and Niger and which had the support of a majority of the UNSC members, was voted down (defeat, rule against, reject, overturn) by India and Russia — it has veto (a right/power to reject a decision/proposal) powers — while China abstained (not vote, decline to vote, refuse to vote (for or against something (a resolution/proposal/motion)). Their position is that the UNSC’s primary responsibility is “maintenance of international peace and security” and climate change-related issues are outside its ambit (सीमा, दायरा). But the supporters of the resolution (संकल्प, प्रस्ताव, निर्णय) argue that the climate is creating security risks in the world, which will exacerbate (intensify, increase, heighten, aggravate, make worse, worsen) in the future with water shortage (कमी, अपर्याप्तता), migration (प्रवास, देशपरिवर्तन) and a destruction of livelihoods (आजीविका). Germany had circulated a similar draft last year which was never put to vote in the Security Council as the Trump administration opposed it. Now, with support from the Biden administration, the developed world is pushing to include what they call “climate security (जलवायु सुरक्षा)” in the agenda of the UNSC. While the urgency (तात्कालिकता, महत्व, सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता) to take action to tackle climate change is appreciated, the attempt to securitise the climate agenda could have unintended (अनपेक्षित, अनियोजित, अप्रत्याशित) consequences (परिणाम, नतीजा, असर). Bringing the issue under the UNSC will also give more powers to the world’s industrialised (औद्योगिक) countries, which hold a veto power, to decide on (choose, opt for, select, go for, settle on) future action on climate-related security issues.

Currently, all matters related to climate change are being discussed in the UN Framework (structure, system organization) Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a specialised agency. And with over 190 members, its framework has made progress in tackling climate change. It is this process that led to the Kyoto Protocol (an international treaty among industrialized nations that sets mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions), the Paris Agreement and the recent COP26 summit (meeting, conference, conclave), and has put in place (establish, set up, create/form) an international approach to combat (fight, tackle, counter, oppose, resist, stand up to, face up to, confront, defy) global climate change. Sure, there is valid criticism that decision making at UNFCCC conferences is slow and there has to be faster collective (combined, united/joint, cooperative (by all people as a group)) action to tackle climate change and associated challenges. But the solution is not outsourcing (assign (work) to others) decision making to the five permanent members of the UNSC. Also, it is wrong to look at (view, regard, consider, think of, deem) climate change through the prism (a viewpoint that clarifies/distorts something) of security. Each nation faces different challenges in transitioning into a greener (environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, energy-efficient) economy. As India’s Permanent Representative at the UN T.S. Tirumurti pointed out (identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to), the developed countries, all big polluters, have not met the promises they made with regard to (regarding, concerning, with respect to, in respect of, with reference to) climate action. The least developed and developing countries should be encouraged to keep the promises they made with financial assistance. This needs to be a collective process and the best way is through the UNFCCC, where decisions made are by consensus (an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group). The UNFCCC should not only make sure (check, confirm, make certain, ensure) that the promises made by member countries, especially the powerful ones, in previous conferences are kept but also expand the scope of discussions to include climate-related security issues.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.forum (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मंच, सभा, सम्मेलन
English Meaning - meeting, assembly, gathering, conference, convention.

2.climate change (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु परिवर्तन
English Meaning - a long-term change in the Earth’s climate, or of a region on Earth.

3.UN Security Council (UNSC)(noun)

Hindi Meaning - संयुक्त राष्ट्र सुरक्षा परिषद
English Meaning - it is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations, charged with ensuring international peace and security.

4.unintended (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - अनपेक्षित, अनियोजित, अप्रत्याशित
English Meaning - unplanned, unexpected, inadvertent, incidental/accidental.

5.consequence (noun)

Hindi Meaning - परिणाम, नतीजा, असर
English Meaning - outcome, ramification, repercussion.

6.resolution (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संकल्प, प्रस्ताव, निर्णय
English Meaning - motion, proposal, ruling.

7.reflection (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबिम्ब, संकेत, प्रदर्शन
English Meaning - indication, display, demonstration.

8.mandate (noun)

Hindi Meaning - शासनकाल, अध्यादेश
English Meaning - instruction, directive, decree, order, ruling, ordinance, law, statute

9.ambit (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सीमा, दायरा
English Meaning - scope, purview, bounds, extent.

10.shortage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कमी, अपर्याप्तता
English Meaning - shortfall, deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency.

11.migration (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रवास, देशपरिवर्तन
English Meaning - the movement of people within the borders of the same country or across international borders in order to find work or better living conditions.

12.livelihood (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आजीविका
English Meaning - means of making a living with the basic necessities (food, water, shelter and clothing); means of support, subsistence, source of income.

13.climate security (noun)

Hindi Meaning - जलवायु सुरक्षा
English Meaning - it refers to the security risks induced, directly or indirectly, by changes in climate patterns.

14.urgency (noun)

Hindi Meaning - तात्कालिकता, महत्व, सर्वोच्च प्राथमिकता
English Meaning - importance, top priority, gravity, necessity, exigency, seriousness.

15.industrialised (verb)

Hindi Meaning - औद्योगिक
English Meaning - relating to a country/region that has highly developed industries on a large scale.

16.long-held (adjective)

English Meaning - deep-rooted, well-established, traditional, fixed.

17.pilot (verb)

English Meaning - test, trial, examine.

18.vote down (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - defeat, rule against, reject, overturn.

19.veto (noun)

English Meaning - a right/power to reject a decision/proposal.

20.abstain (verb)

English Meaning - not vote, decline to vote, refuse to vote (for or against something (a resolution/proposal/motion).

21.exacerbate (verb)

English Meaning - intensify, increase, heighten, aggravate, make worse, worsen.

22.decide on (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - choose, opt for, select, go for, settle on.

23.The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)(noun)

English Meaning - The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994. Today, it has near-universal membership. The 197 countries that have ratified the Convention are called Parties to the Convention. Preventing “dangerous” human interference with the climate system is the ultimate aim of the UNFCCC.

24.framework (noun)

English Meaning - structure, system organization.

25.make progress (phrase)

English Meaning - move forward, make strides; proceed, advance, improve.

26.lead to (verb)

English Meaning - result in, cause, bring on.

27.Kyoto Protocol/Accord (noun)

English Meaning - an international treaty among industrialized nations that sets mandatory limits on greenhouse gas emissions.

28.protocol (noun)

English Meaning - procedure, convention, rules of conduct.

29.Climate Treaty or Paris Agreement/Accord/pact (noun)

English Meaning - The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at COP 21 in Paris, on 12 December 2015 and entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its goal is to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels.

30.26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) (noun)

English Meaning - The 26th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP26) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is expected to take place from 01-12 November 2021, in Glasgow, UK. The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

31.summit (noun)

English Meaning - meeting, conference, conclave.

32.put in place (phrase)

English Meaning - establish, set up, create/form.

33.combat (verb)

English Meaning - fight, tackle, counter, oppose, resist, stand up to, face up to, confront, defy.

34.collective (adjective)

English Meaning - combined, united/joint, cooperative (by all people as a group).

35.outsource (verb)

English Meaning - assign (work) to others.

36.look at (verb)

English Meaning - view, regard, consider, think of, deem.

37.prism (noun)

English Meaning - a viewpoint that clarifies/distorts something.

38.green (adjective)

English Meaning - environmentally friendly, ecologically sound, energy-efficient.

39.green economy (noun)

English Meaning - a green economy is defined as low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. In a green economy, growth in employment and income are driven by public and private investment into such economic activities, infrastructure and assets that allow reduced carbon emissions and pollution, enhanced energy and resource efficiency, and prevention of the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services.

40.point out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - identify, mention, indicate, draw attention to.

41.with regard to (phrase)

English Meaning - regarding, concerning, with respect to, in respect of, with reference to.

42.keep one’s promises (phrase)

English Meaning - to fulfil a promise you have made.

43.consensus (noun)

English Meaning - an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group.

44.make sure (phrase)

English Meaning - check, confirm, make certain, ensure.