Ban on JuD high point of Indian diplomacy at UN in '08

Sanctioning of Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jamaat-ud-Dawah and its leaders, who planned, financed and executed the Mumbai attacks, was perhaps the high point of the Indian diplomacy at the United Nations during the year.

Aggressive diplomacy and a well prepared case against the JuD, parent organisation of Lashkar-e-Tayiba, led to Security Council's decision to call for worldwide freezing of its assets and putting four LeT leaders on a list of terrorists subject to sanctions, including ban on foreign travel.

The case prepared by India was so convincing that even China, which bailed out Pakistan and prevented ban being imposed on earlier occasions, decided to go along.

The ban took Pakistani diplomats by surprise and resulted in criticism in the country's media that they had done pretty little to explain Islamabad's position leading to its UN Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon calling a press conference to explain his position.

To calm Pakistani journalists, he even gave an assurance that the decision could be reversed if they appealed, knowing fully well that the process is difficult and getting ban lifted almost impossible.

Apart from the sanctions, Pakistan was also smarting under another success of the Indian diplomacy.

New Delhi was able to convince a large majority of member states that time has come for negotiation on expansion of the Security Council to move beyond a working group -- a talking shop, which had done nothing in more than a decade except to hear speeches -- to inter-governmental negotiations where actual proposals put forward by member-nations could be discussed and there could be give and take.

Pakistan, which opposes expansion of permanent membership of the 15-member Council, wanted the working group to continue its deliberations until a consensus is reached, an impossible task where 192 members are involved.

The negotiations are scheduled to begin by middle of February next year, which could be difficult and protracted but diplomats say at least it is the first move forward in more than a decade and half.

The Indian diplomats have every reason to be happy over the achievement during the year when Indian stamp was visible in several areas.

It is difficult for anyone to predict how long the negotiations on expansion of the Council, whose permanent members now include the US, Britain, Russia, France and China -- would last but New Delhi is poised to play a major role as it is sure to be elected as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning in 2010. The General Assembly elects the non-permanent members in an election held in October.

Last time India was non-permanent member in 1991-92, which had witnessed the first Gulf War after Saddam Hussein attacked Kuwait. India had a substantial contribution in the first sanction resolution adopted by the Council, which placed restriction on Baghdad's nuclear weapon dreams.

On a wider plane, the United Nations was facing multiple crises and voluntary contributions for various peacekeeping missions and other projects were declining because of economic downturn at a time it is being asked to take on more and more responsibility.

It was finding difficult to get troops, money, resources including equipment for the ever-increasing peacekeeping operations even though the Security Council was pressing it to take on more tasks.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has often demanded that while sanctioning a mission, the Council should also ensure adequate resources but that has not happened.

Somalia is the latest example. During the recent meeting of the Security Council, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had advocated establishment of a peacekeeping operation for Somalia which has no functioning government for last 17 years, providing a fertile ground for pirates to operate off its coast.

"Where is the peace to keep," asked Ban and called for a multinational force, which can more effectively deal with lawlessness and converting it to the peacekeeping mission once there is peace to keep.

But he was disappointed as more than 50 countries he approached for leading the multinational mission either did not reply or just sent lukewarm answers.

Naturally, he is worried to have another failed operation at hand. Indeed, in Darfur, where a hybrid UN and African Union mission is operating, the world body has not been able to get enough troops and member states have not provided even the basic equipment with the result that it is unable to make an effective intervention.

The West Asia (Middle East) continues to be a highly inflammable region with no visible peace between Palestinians and Israelis in the year though diplomats said the two parties have engaged in intensive talks below the world's radar.

Hamas, which controls Gaza, and Israel came nowhere near peace and the fag end of the year, the situation turned horribly worse with Tel Aviv launching a deadly offensive in Gaza killing over 300, including civilians.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the world body runs its biggest peacekeeping operation, the situation continues to be difficult with its dream of creating an effective local army still far away from being fulfilled. It was expected that peacekeepers would be required only to support the local army but that has not happened.

Adding to the problem were allegations of sexual abuse and smuggling by the peacekeepers. Inquiries are still going on but it has given bad name to the mission.

On the positive side, the United Nations oversaw successful elections in Nepal, Sierra Leones and Bangladesh. On the humanitarian front, it has been very active during natural disasters including cyclone in Myanmar. But on political front, it has little to show as the military junta has refused to release pro-democracy leaders there.

The rising prices have made it difficult for the United Nations to feed millions of hungry people and donations are drying up. It is yet unclear how the problem would be ultimately resolved.

Along with already existing issues, the world body would face a major challenge during climate change negotiations. Ban wants some agreement during the key Copenhagen meet late next year but so far things are not so encouraging.

The United Nations' woes are not ending with the end of the year. If anything, they would become more challenging especially in a world ridden with economic crisis and market meltdown, which would result in decreasing funding at a time when the world body needs more.