Topic: 2025 – Responsibility of International Organizations
Country: India
Delegate Name: Ezra Navin
The Responsibility of International Organisations has become increasingly more important in recent years, as IOs such as the United Nations, NATO, the World Bank, and the European Union take a larger role in peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, and development. While these organisations are created to help developing nations, certain oversights can cause more problems in these developing countries than there were before. India believes that these IOs must be held accountable for their misconduct. Although there have been developments on the issue, India believes that this problem, if not dealt with, could damage the reputations and efficacies of IOs across the world.
The Indian delegation believes that when holding an International Organisation responsible for an issue, you are also holding the member states responsible. Member states should take responsibility for the actions of the IOs they belong to, because states are responsible for the decision-making. An example of this situation is during the Kosovo War, member States of NATO chose to carry out air strikes against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, causing civilian deaths. The states that decided to carry out the air strikes should hold responsibility for their actions.
The Indian delegation additionally believes that jurisdiction over an International Organisation’s misconduct should fall under international and state law where the misconduct occurred. If the IO violates any international law that applies, regardless of where the rule originated or its nature, it has breached international law. IOs should be included in international laws, just as states are, to ensure they are held accountable for their actions.
Furthermore, the Indian delegation believes that rules set by an International Organisation must be regarded as obligations under international law. These rules create responsibility for the Organisations not just as internal guidelines, but as real laws they must follow. These rules also create accountability for IOs without imposing on the effectiveness or independence of International Organisations.
The Republic of India believes that if an International Organisation is held responsible for an issue, the member states included are also responsible. Furthermore, the delegation also believes that organisations should be held legally accountable just as much as states when misconduct occurs. India hopes that this committee can reach an agreement on the Responsibility of International Organisations to prevent misconduct committed by organisations in the future.
Bibliography:
United Nations. “Final Report to the Prosecutor by the Committee Established to Review the NATO Bombing Campaign Against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.” International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, https://www.icty.org/en/press/final-report-prosecutor-committee-established-review-nato-bombing-campaign-against-federal.
Permanent Mission of India to the UN, New York. www.pminewyork.gov.in/IndiaatUNGA?id=MjA5Nw.
Permanent Mission of India to the UN. “Report of the International Law Commission on the Work of Its Seventy-fifth Session (Cluster 1): India Statement.” 6th Committee of the 79th Session of the UNGA (Agenda Item 79), 2021, www.un.org/en/ga/sixth/79/pdfs/statements/ilc/24mtg_india_1.pdf.
