Saturday, 8 April 2023, Bangaluru, India
In a historic moment for the country, India is now a member of the United Nations’ highest Statistical body and has been elected to represent three other countries from the Asia-Pacific Region. The news came in when India reportedly got a resounding 46 votes out of the total 53 votes, which placed India ahead of South Korea with 23 votes, China with 19 votes, and the United Arab Emirates with 15 votes. The news brings every citizen joy; with this feat, India has created history by being a member of the highest Statistical Body of the UN for the first time. India is elected ahead of many Asian countries to appear in the highest Statistical Commission Body of the UN for a four-year term starting from 1st January 2024.
Indian Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar expressed his emotions of joy and pride by tweeting to his followers on Twitter. He took to the social media platform to inform about the historic achievement and express his emotions by saying, “India elected to the highest UN statistical body for a 4-year term beginning on 1 January 2024! Congrats Team @IndiaUNNewYork, for coming through so strongly in a competitive election.”
He praised India’s excellent strength and expertise in the field of statistics, diversity, and demography that led to India’s historic election in the UN’s highest statistical body.
India’s fate in the UN Statistical Commission’s body was decided by a secret ballot, while countries like Argentina, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Ukraine, the United Republic of Tanzania, and the United States of America were elected by massive approval for a four-year term in the office beginning from the 1st of January 2024.
India’s selection in the UN body is very important for India on the international stage as it gives India worldwide recognition as a powerful nation when it comes to methods outside of war. The United Nations Statistical Commission was established in the year 1947 as the highest body of the global statistical system.
The sole purpose of this body was to bring together Chief Statisticians from participants around the world to make decisions on international statistical activities, set statistical standards, and develop concepts and methods, including their implementation at the national and international levels.
Apart from being elected to the Statistical Commission, India has been elected to the Human Rights Council (HRC), International Narcotics Control Board, United Nations Board of Auditors, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), International Court of Justice (ICJ), Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), International Law Commission (ILC), and International Law commission in recent years.
The United Nations Statistical Commission elects its member nations keeping in view the contributions the member nations have made and can make to the statistical sector. The UN has set some terms for the election of member participants from different regions of the world. The UN elects five members from the African region, four members from the Asia-Pacific region, four members from the Eastern European region, four members from Latin American and Caribbean States, and seven members from Western European and other States. In total, the UN elects 24 member countries for the Statistical Commission Body for a period of four years.
Sources –Business Today, Unstats
