UN Security Council Reform Debate
Source: The Hindu
Introduction
- More than three decades after the debate on fundamental reforms at the United Nations (UN) began, the issue is once again under discussion at the ongoing General Assembly session.
- Leaders, including President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, have expressed concerns about the current state of the UN Security Council.
- The existing structure, dominated by five permanent members, is seen as outdated and in need of reform.
A Long-Standing Issue
- The call for reform isn’t new, with previous attempts dating back to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali’s statement in the 1990s that reform should be achieved by the UN’s 50th anniversary.
- Despite ongoing rhetoric, the UN has missed multiple milestones, including its 60th, 70th, and 75th anniversaries.
Equity and Representation
- The Security Council’s composition is widely criticized for being a relic of 1945 geopolitics.
- While there were 11 members out of 51 countries at the UN’s founding, today, with 193 member-states, only 15 Council members exist.
- This represents less than 8% of member-states, leaving many nations unrepresented. The current setup disproportionately favors European countries, which make up only 5% of the world’s population but control 33% of the Council’s seats.
- This has led to questions about the fairness of this arrangement, especially concerning countries like Japan and Germany, who contribute significantly to the UN budget but remain labeled as “enemy states” in the UN Charter.
- Countries like India, with significant contributions to global affairs, are also excluded from permanent membership.
Stances by Countries
- The reform debate divides states into two categories. Small countries accept their role as non-permanent members, while medium-sized and large countries resent the prospect of a select few breaking free from second-rank status.
- Historical grievances, competition, and envy play a role in the opposition to reform. Furthermore, amending the UN Charter requires a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly, making it a challenging process.
Continuing Gridlock
- The ongoing deadlock in the Security Council has hampered its ability to respond effectively to global crises.
- Examples include the Russia-Ukraine conflict, where a Permanent Member’s veto prevented the Council from acting, and repeated blockages in addressing issues like Mali, Syria, and North Korea.
- Similarly, reform efforts affecting institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund face opposition, contributing to the system’s overall inefficacy.
Conclusion
While the debate surrounding UN Security Council reform has been ongoing for decades, no consensus has been reached.
The current structure, rooted in post-World War II geopolitics, is considered outdated and inequitable by many.
The failure to reform the Council risks diminishing the UN’s relevance and effectiveness as the global platform for addressing international issues.
However, due to various geopolitical and national interests, overcoming the gridlock in the reform process remains a significant challenge.
"Claudia Goldin's Nobel Prize and the Challenge of Gender Inequality in Labor Markets"
Source: Indian Express
Introduction:
- The 2023 Economics Nobel Prize was awarded to Harvard economist Claudia Goldin, signaling a significant step in acknowledging gender disparities in labor markets.
- Goldin’s extensive work has exposed the intricacies of gender inequality and labor market dynamics, pushing the economics community to confront the reality that labor markets are not gender-neutral.
- Gender Disparities in Labor Markets:
- Goldin’s work highlights the persistent disadvantageous outcomes faced by women in terms of occupation and wages, even when they possess similar qualifications to men.
- Her research underscores that labor markets operate differently for men and women, challenging the notion of gender neutrality in hiring and compensation.
- The Nobel Committee’s recognition of Goldin’s work bestows legitimacy on the field of analysis focused on male-female gaps and gender discrimination within economics.
- Evolution of Women’s Labor Force Participation:
- Over more than three decades, Goldin’s research, primarily based on US data, examines the historical evolution of women’s labor force participation and gender wage gaps.
- She identifies a U-shaped relationship between economic development and women’s labor force participation, emphasizing the “income effect.”
- As women’s education advances, they tend to re-enter the workforce, contributing to changes in gender dynamics.
- Gender Wage Gap among College-Educated Women:
- In her 2021 book, “Career and Family: Women’s Century-Long Journey towards Equity,” Goldin analyzes the gender wage gap among college-educated US women over a century.
- She notes that the wage gap between college-educated men and women has stagnated since the 2000s, despite women being more likely to hold college degrees.
- Goldin attributes the wage gap to occupational segregation and the phenomenon of “greedy” jobs, which offer higher wages but demand long hours and extensive commitments, often impeding women’s career growth.
- Special Contributions:
- Goldin’s research includes significant papers like “Orchestrating Impartiality” (with Cecilia Rouse), which highlights the benefits of blind auditions in reducing gender bias in hiring.
- Her work with Lawrence Katz, “The Power of the Pill,” demonstrates how oral contraceptives empowered women by delaying marriage and enhancing control over career and family planning.
- Applicability to Developing Countries and Intersectionality:
- A pertinent question is whether Goldin’s findings from US data can be directly applied to developing countries like India.
- There is a need to examine whether Goldin’s results hold consistently for all categories of women within the US.
- Gender inequalities in employment often manifest in the allocation of domestic work, making it essential to explore these intersections.
Conclusion:
Goldin’s groundbreaking research and the Nobel Committee’s recognition emphasize the importance of incorporating gender sensitivity, nuance, and intersectionality in economic analysis and policy-making. Her work calls for a more comprehensive understanding of labor markets, transcending traditional gender biases and promoting equitable opportunities for all.
India's Energy and Nuclear Power Strategy for Economic Growth and Sustainability
Introduction
- India’s economy is on a rapid growth trajectory, with expectations of surpassing Germany and Japan in the global rankings before the end of the decade.
- This economic growth is accompanied by a surge in primary energy consumption, mostly reliant on fossil fuels.
- However, the urgent need to combat global warming has led to a global consensus to achieve net-zero emissions between 2045 and 2070.
- India faces the significant challenge of transitioning to net-zero emissions while meeting its developmental aspirations, which require increased per-capita energy consumption.
Balancing Development and Sustainability
- India aspires to attain a Human Development Index (HDI) comparable to advanced nations, which necessitates a minimum energy consumption of 2,400 kgoe per capita per year, potentially improving to 1,400 kgoe with increased energy efficiency.
- This translates to a clean energy demand of 25,000 to 30,000 TWhr/yr, more than four times India’s current energy consumption. Relying solely on renewables, including solar and wind energy, may not be sufficient to achieve these targets.
The Role of Nuclear Energy
- Nuclear energy is presented as a crucial component in India’s strategy to reach net-zero emissions and achieve its developmental goals.
- Despite challenges and apprehensions, nuclear energy is considered one of the cleanest and safest energy sources capable of countering climate change.
- The closed nuclear fuel cycle reduces waste concerns. To reach net-zero emissions, India may need to scale up nuclear energy to several thousand GWe.
A Six-Pronged National Strategy
The author suggests a six-pronged national strategy for a rapid expansion of nuclear energy:
- Indigenous 700 MWe PHWR: Leveraging the existing units, 15 more such units are under construction. Implementing multiple fleets with the involvement of various Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) is recommended.
- Indigenous SMRs: Building small modular reactors (SMRs) at sites vacated by retiring coal plants. Importing such units may be cost-prohibitive, and partnerships with industrial entities, including NTPC, are proposed.
- 220 MWe PHWR Units: Offering partially owned captive units for electricity and hydrogen production for energy-intensive industries, potentially using the AHWR300-LEU after a prototype demonstration.
- High-Temperature Reactor for Hydrogen Production: Developing a high-temperature reactor for direct hydrogen production to reduce pressure on electrification. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre’s capabilities are mentioned.
- Thorium Energy Development: Accelerating the second and third stages of the nuclear-power program to tap into thorium energy potential.
- International Collaboration: Promoting international cooperation to address climate change by deploying India’s globally competitive PHWRs and thorium-HALEU fuel.
Conclusion
Meeting the energy demands for India’s economic growth and sustainability goals is a major challenge.
Achieving a CAGR of around 4.8% in energy production to reach 25,000-30,000 TWh per year by 2070 is feasible, but a significant role for nuclear energy is deemed necessary.
To successfully implement this, India needs a bold, comprehensive policy framework that supports nuclear energy on par with renewables.
