BOOKSin review
A
MBASSADOR Dilip
Sinha is eminently
qualified to writeonthe
PermanentFive(P5)in the
Security Council.Hewas
chiefof thedivisionin the
Ministryof ExternalAf-
fairs dealing with the
UnitedNationswhenIn-
dia was in the Security
Council in 2011-12 and,
later,PermanentRepres-
entative to the U.N. in
Geneva. Hisstyleis lucid,
the research meticulous,
andthejargon-freenarra-
tionimpeccable.
Thereare16 chapters
in all, apartfromthe con-
clusion.The authorprom-
ises a“studyof
international security co-
operationandits moorings
in internationallawfrom
theperspectiveof thecoun-
triesin the South” (em-
phasisadded.)Hegivesa
historicallysound account
of the genesisof territorial
statesin Europe following
the endof the ThirtyYears’
War(1618-48).
Theaccountof the ori-
ginsof internationallaw
showsanalyticrigour.The
DutchjuristHugoGrotius
publishedTheLawof War
andPeacein 1625whenthe
ThirtyYears’Warwasstill
raging.Withthe riseof the
territorialstates,theneed
partialas we do notsee the
enforcer.
Theauthor drawsat-
tention to the difference
betweencollectivesecurity
andcollectivedefence.The
latter has been “the
primaryincentivefor inter-
national cooperation”.It
meanscollectiveactionby
members against an ex-
ternalthreat.Collectivese-
curitydealswith threats
“emanating from an in-
ternalsource againstwhich
all members acceptthe ob-
ligationto take jointac-
tion”.
TheU.N.wasformedas
a“collectivedefence organ-
isationagainsttheenemy
statesof the Second World
War”.TheU.N.“createdan
internationalorder inwhich member states
agreedto restrict theirsov-
ereignrighttowagewar
andto reposetheirfaithin
asmallbodyof membersof
the Security Council”.
We all havean idea
about why andhowthe
UnitedStates,theUnited
Kingdomand theSoviet
Unionbecamepermanent
membersof theSecurity
Council.Theauthor gives
an insightful account of
howChinabecameaper-
manentmember. Butfor
PresidentF.D. Roosevelt’s
determined insistence,
Chinawouldnot havebeen
in. He fantasised aboutthe
immense market of 500
millionin aChinaindustri-
alisedand“Christianised”
afterthe warandthe bene-
fits fortheU.S.fromex-
porting to such ahuge
market. T.V. Soong,
brother-in-lawof Chiang
Kai-shek, ambassadorin
Washington,enjoyedeasy
accessto Roosevelt.Chi-
angKai-sheik, marriedto
the daughterof arich pub-
lisherof Christianmission-
ary books,wasaSouthern
MethodistChristian. Win-
stonChurchillwasscan-
dalisedto see Chinain. He
pointedoutrepeatedlyto
Rooseveltthatit wasabig
mistake to overestimate
China’scontributionto vic-
toryin the war.
To Churchill’s chagrin,
he found that some in
Washington accorded
equalweightto theBritish
Empireandto Chinaun-
der Chiang Kai-sheik.
Roosevelt’s trustedenvoy,
AverellHarriman, didnot
agreewithhimon accord-
ing such an important
placeto China.
The reader will note
theimpactofindividualarosefor alaw of nations
“bindinguponcivilised
states in their relations
with one another”. This
calledforafundamental
changein theconceptof
law,as lawwascommonly
understoodas abodyof
commandsgivenanden-
forcedby asovereign.Who
wasthesovereignto en-
forcethelawsamongthe
states?As Immanuel Kant
pointedout,Grotiusand
otherslikehimwere“sorry
comforters”becausesuch
laws“donotandcannot
have the slightest legal
forcesincestatesassuch
arenotsubjectto acom-
monexternalconstraint”.
The conceptof God-
given“naturallaws” is a
partialanswerto Kant.It isMaking of theU.N.
Thisbookbyaneminentpractitionerof multilateral
diplomacyis notonlyforstudentsof international
relationsandservingdiplomatsbutalsoforthe
laypersonin viewof itslucidpresentationof
complicatedissues.BYK.P.FABIAN
Legitimacyof
Power
The Permanence of
Five in the UN
SecurityCouncil
ByDilipSinha
IndianCouncil of
WorldAffairs
Vij BookIndiaPvt.
Ltd, NewDelhi,
2019
Pages: 320
Price:Rs.595