It is the legal and moral foundation of international relations. It is the true manifestation of humanity’s spiritual values and inner oneness. Preamble
We the people of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and
- to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and
- to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and
- to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom And for these ends
- to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and
- to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and
- to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and
- to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, Have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims.
PURPOSES AND PRINCIPLES
Article 1: The Purposes of the United Nations are:
- To maintain international peace and security, and to that end: to take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of the peace, and to bring about peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace;
- To develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and to take other appropriate measures to strengthen universal peace;
- To achieve international cooperation in solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character, and in promoting and encouraging respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion; and
- To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.
Article 2: The Organization and its Members, in pursuit of the Purposes stated in Article 1, shall act by the following Principles. The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members.
- All Members, to ensure to all of them the rights and benefits resulting from membership, shall fulfil in good faith the obligations assumed by them by the present Charter.
- All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.
- All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations.
- All Members shall give the United Nations every assistance in any action it takes by the present Charter and shall refrain from assisting any state against which the United Nations is taking preventive or enforcement action.
- The Organization shall ensure that states which are not Members of the United Nations act by these Principles so far as may be necessary for the maintenance of international peace and security.
- Nothing contained in the present Charter shall authorize the United Nations to intervene in matters which are essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of any state or shall require the Members to submit such matters to settlement under the present Charter, but this principle shall not prejudice the application of enforcement measures under Chapter VII.
ROLE OF INDIA IN ENCOURAGING ETHICAL DISCOURSE IN INTERNATIONAL RELATION
Article 51 in the Constitution of India Promotion of international peace and security. The State shall endeavour to
a) Promote international peace and security.
b) Maintain just and honourable relations between nations.
c) Foster respect for international law and treaty obligations in the dealings of organised peoples with one another; and
d) Encourage settlement of international disputes by arbitration.
PANCHSHEEL
The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, known as the Panchsheel Treaty:
- Mutual respect’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
- Mutual non-aggression.
- Mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs.
- Equality and cooperation for mutual benefit.
- Peaceful co-existence.
A NEW PANCHSHEEL FOR THE 21ST CENTURY In a speech given in October 2013, India’s then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh outlined the new Panchsheel principles
- The first principle of the new Panchsheel asserts that India’s development priorities will determine its engagement with the world. Hence, a key objective of India’s foreign policy is to create a conducive world order and enhance its role as a rule-shaper of global norms and institutions. This linkage is exemplified in the recent realization that India’s ambitious food security law is not in tune with its World Trade Organization commitments. The same is also the case for climate, energy, rivers, oceans and cyber security issues.
- The second principle explicitly recognizes that India’s development prospects are now and for the future inexorably linked to the world economy in every aspect. India and its people cannot prosper without this integration.
- The third principle argues that India can hope to create a beneficial global economic and security environment for itself by working with all major powers. This is the best articulation of India’s policy of multi-alignment—its engagement in groupings like the Group of Twenty, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) and India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA)—and, perhaps, the quietest though eloquent burial of non-alignment.
- The fourth principle recognizes that if India is to play a greater role at the global level, then it will have to build and ensure greater regional cooperation and connectivity. This tacitly suggests that such regional integration might be the elusive path to improving political relations between the various countries.
- Finally, the new Panchsheel underlines the import of India’s values “of a plural, secular and liberal democracy” as an inspiration to others in the world. These values not only distinguish India from the other major re-emerging power—China—but also indicate New Delhi’s softening of its unquestioning endorsement of absolute sovereignty, particularly at the cost of liberal democracy and pluralism. This principle might also pave the way for a realistic rather than a dismissive approach to concepts like democracy promotion and responsibility to protect.
Panchamrit
- Samman: dignity and honour
- Samvad: greater engagement and dialogue
- Samriddhi: shared prosperity
- Suraksha: regional and global security; and
- Sanskriti evam sabhyata: cultural and civilizational linkages.
NON-ALIGNED MOVEMENT
Three reasons were given by pt. Nehru for Non-aligned Movement –
- India is a newly independent country and hence India must focus on socio-economic reconstruction rather than joining a military bock.
- India is a country that has never shown aggression against any other country.
- When the world is divided into two military groups which are ready two fight against each other, it is wise to strengthen the peace area (third block) so that conflict can be bridged. Nehru’s aversion to narrow egoistic and expansionist nationalism had been great.
GUJRAL DOCTRINE
The five key principles of the Gujral Doctrine were as follows:
- As the largest nation in South Asia, India must show a big heart. With neighbours viz. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, India must not ask for reciprocity but should give all that it can in good faith and trust.
- No South Asian country would allow its territory to be used against the interest of another country
- No country would interfere in the internal affairs of another.
- South Asian Countries should respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
- Countries of South Asia must settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations It has relevance today also as most neighbours of India are much smaller in size in comparison to its size. Further, being a dominant economy, making unilateral concessions can help to build trust. The country cannot remain at loggerheads with neighbours as it gives an opportunity to internal and external non-state actors to destabilize the country.
APPLICATION OF THE DOCTRINE
- Sharing of Ganga Water with Bangladesh: It is in pursuance of this policy that late in 1996 India concluded an agreement with Bangladesh on sharing of Ganga Waters. This agreement enabled Bangladesh to draw in lean season slightly more water than even the 1977 Agreement had provided.
- India allows Nepal and Bhutan to use Hooghly Port for their import purposes.Soft loan and infrastructure development in Afghanistan.Most Favoured Nation status to Pakistan.Freezing of Border Dispute with PRC: The confidence-building measures agreed upon by India and China in November 1996 were also a part of efforts made by the two countries to improve bilateral relations, and freeze, for the time being, the border dispute.
- Increasing People-to-People Contact with Pakistan: This doctrine advocated people-to-people contact, particularly between India and Pakistan, to create an atmosphere that would enable the countries concerned to sort out their differences amicably. India unilaterally announced in 1997 several concessions to Pakistan tourists, particularly the elder citizens and cultural groups, regarding visa fees and police reporting.
NUCLEAR DOCTRINE OF INDIA
India has a declared nuclear no-first-use policy and is in the process of developing a nuclear doctrine based on “credible minimum deterrence.”
REFUGEE POLICY
India harbours one of the largest populations of refugees despite not signing the UN Convention on refugees.
