Page 25 - ICWA NewsletterOctober- December 2020

INDIAN COUNCIL
OF WORLD AFFAIRS SAPRU HOUSE

One-Day ICWA Webinar on
“Advancing Reformed Multilateralism in the
Changing World’

10 December 2020

The Indian Council of World Affairs organised Asoke Mukherji, Former Permanent Representative
Aa one-day Webinar on ‘Advancing Reformed of India to the United Nations in New York.The
Multilateralism in the Changing World’ on 10 session included three speakers – Ambassador
December 2020. The Conference had a total of 18 Manjeev Singh Puri, Former Deputy Permanent
speakers based in India and abroad. The speakers Representative of India to the United Nations, Dr.
constituted a multi-disciplinary group of academics, Aniruddha Rajput, Member of the UN International
policy makers, diplomats, and experts. Major Law Commission (2017-2021) and Member, ICWA,
themes discussed over five sessions and one panel Governing Council, Prof. Tasneem Meenai, Nelson
discussion of the Webinar included: Mandela Centre for Peace and Conflict Resolution,
• India and the United Nations Jamia Millia Islamia.
• India and the International Financial/Trading The second session on ‘India and the International
Institutions and Arrangements Financial/Trading Institutions and Arrangements’
• India and the International Climate was chaired by Ambassador Mohan Kumar,
Change Negotiations Chairman, Research and Information System for
Developing Studies (RIS). The four speaker in
• Re-Imagining Multilateralism: Views from India the session included Mr. V. Srinivas, Additional
• Agenda for India’s UNSC Tenure 2021-2022 Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms
The Webinar began with welcome remarks by and Public Grievance, Government of India,
the Director General, ICWA Dr. TCA Raghavan Dr. Archna Negi, Associate Professor, Center
who noted that the 75th anniversary of the UN for International Politics, Organization and
and also the centenary of the League of Nations, Disarmament, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New
two organisations in which India was an original Delhi, Dr. Amitendu Palit, Senior Fellow and
member, provide an opportune moment to not Research Lead (Trade and Economics), Institute
only examine historical perspectives on India’s of South Asian Studies, National University
engagement with multilateralism but also take a of Singapore, Dr. Alok Sheel, RBI Chair in
hard and honest look at the structural weakness Macroeconomics, Indian Council for Research in
afflicting multilateral institutions including the UN. International Economic Relations.
DG, ICWA underscored that next year when India The third session on ‘India and the International
for the eighth time joins the United Nations Security Climate Change Negotiations’ was chaired by Prof.
Council as an elected non-permanent Member, ‘a T. Jayaraman, Senior Fellow, MS Swaminathan
new orientation for a reformed multilateral system’ Foundation, Chennai. The four panellists in the
will constitute its overarching mission. session were Amb. Manjeev Singh Puri , Former
The first session of the Webinar was titled ‘India Deputy Permanent Representative to the United
and the United Nations’ and was chaired by Amb. Nations, Dr Manish Shrivastava, Assistant Professor,

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