Page 26 - ICWA NewsletterOctober- December 2020

INDIAN COUNCIL
OF WORLD AFFAIRS SAPRU HOUSE

Department of Energy and Environment, The Energy The final session was
and Resource Institute, Dr Tejal Kanitkar, Associate Round Table Discussion
Professor, Energy, Environment Programme, on ‘Agenda for India’s
National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru. UNSC Tenure 2021-

The fourth session on ‘Re-Imagining 2022.’ It was chaired
Multilateralism: Views from India’ was chaired by Dr. Arvind Gupta,
by Prof. Rajen Harshe, Former President of G.B. Director, Vivekananda
Pant Social Institute, Allahabad & former and International
founder Vice Chancellor of the Central University Foundation, New Delhi,
of Allahabad (2005-10), Dr Arvind Gupta, Director, three speakers included
Vivekananda International Foundation, New Delhi, Prof. Bimal Patel, Vice-
Dr. Sanjaya Baru, Distinguished Fellow, Manohar Chancellor, Raksha
Parrikar-Institute for Defense and Strategic Shakti University,
Analysis, New Delhi, Chairman, Programmes Gujarat, Prof. Priyankar
Committee, ICWA, and Prof. Ummu Salma Bava, Upadhaya, UNESCO
Centre European Studies, School of International Chair for Peace and
Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Intercultural Understanding, Banaras Hindu
The session discussed the geopolitical challenges University, Dr. Manpreet Sethi, Distinguished
to multilateralism, the need for India to seek Fellow, Center for Air Power Studies, New Delhi.
balancing and coexistence with the US and China It was noted that India joins the UNSC at a time of
and challenges posed by rivalry between them, intensifying great-power rivalry, ‘existential threat’
difficulties of developing multilateral agenda with of climate change impacting multilateralism in
middle powers, the rising salience of Vasudhaiva a big way, while the global disarmament agenda
Kutumbakam, which is not a pacifist idea but lies in shambles and new cyber and space related
seeks to overcome the ‘us versus them’ thinking threats have emerged. India’s interest as a member
central to Western International Relations theory, will lie both in safeguarding India’s interests and
transformation in the sources of power from also to promote UN agenda on multilateralism
military might to economic strength and even playing the role of a bridge builder among members
normative power. and concepts.

Second ICWA- IPIS (Iran) Dialogue
21 December 2020

The Indian Council of World Affairs hosted The First thematic session
A digitally the Second Dialogue between Indian on ‘India-Iran Relations in Global and Regional
Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and Institute for Context’ was chaired by Amb. Rakesh Sood,
International and Political Studies (IPIS), Iran. The Former Ambassador of India to France, Nepal
dialogue together senior Indian and Iranian experts/ and Afghanistan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer
academics to discuss the current state and future Research Foundation. The speakers in the session
trajectory of India-Iran relations, while looking at included Dr. Mohsen Shariati Nia, Professor,
trends at global, regional and bilateral levels. Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Mr. Nandan
In Opening Session remarks were delivered by Unnikrishanan, Distinguished Fellow, Observer
Amb. Dr. TCA Raghavan, Director General, ICWA, Research Foundation, Mr. Mojtaba Roozbahani
Dr. Seyed Kazem Sajjadpour, President, IPIS Amb., ,Senior Research Fellow, IPIS.
Gaddam Dharmendra, Ambassador of India to Iran The Session II on ‘India-Iran Bilateral Relations’ was
and Amb. Ali Chegeni, Ambassador of Iran to India. chaired by Amb. Sanjay Singh, Former Ambassador

ISSUE : 23 | OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2020 26