Ambassador Manjeev Puri
Adjunct Distinguished Fellow
Manjeev Singh Puri is a former Indian Ambassador. He joined the Indian Foreign Service in 1982 and served as Ambassador of India to the European Union, Belgium, Luxembourg (2013-2017) and Nepal (2017-2019). He has also served as Ambassador/Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN from 2009-2012, a period during which India was on the Security Council. Prior to that, from 2005-2009, he headed the division in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with UN issues on the social and economic side. In addition, he has served twice in Germany (in Bonn and Berlin), in Cape Town, Muscat, Bangkok and Caracas. He retired on 31 December 2019 in the rank of Secretary, Government of India.
Major areas of his experience relate to multilateralism (UN), Europe and Nepal and he was involved as a lead member of the Indian delegation at numerous global negotiations on, migration, human rights and UN reforms. His professional focus has been on issues relating to the environment, climate change and sustainable development. He was a lead negotiator for India at the UN on issues relating to the post 2015 development agenda, Sustainable Development Goals and at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. He was a key member of India's delegation at various Climate Change negotiations, including the Conference of Parties of the UNFCCC in Copenhagen in December 2009 and before that at Montreal, Bali, Bonn and Poznan. Furthermore, he was involved with India's participation in the G8-G5 Summits from 2005 and was the point-person for the Major Economies Forum.
Ambassador Puri has a Masters’ degree in Management and did his BA (Honours) in Economics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He is also a Distinguished Visiting Fellow with the Ananta Centre.
Education
Masters' in Management; BA (Honours) in Economics
Expertise
Multilateralism (UN), Europe, Nepal; Environment, sustainable development
Last modified: April 10, 2024
Recent projects
Courtesy: Getty Images
Germany is India's largest trade and economic partner in the EU, but the relationship with France is a class apart, given its strength in military aviation and willingness to be a differentiated member of the West. Must this remain so? If Germany and the EU would be more understanding of India’s democracy and its role in upholding a rules-based order, their relations would be greatly improved.
Courtesy: Reuters/Amer Hussain
India's G20 Presidency in 2023 will be the time of the global stocktake on climate change negotiations under the 2015 Paris Agreement and the upcoming COP28. It's an opportunity for the G20 troika of Indonesia, India and Brazil to move the needle on the key challenge of climate financing and turn the G-20 away from hegemonistic power control to being a global support mechanism.
Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons
A new chief is due to occupy the chair of the UN Secretary General later this year. The lobbying for this prestigious global post has already begun. There is a rotation system that offers equal opportunities to regional blocs to promote their candidates. But this time, it's a toss between having the first woman to head the body, or continuing with the West-led bloc's candidate. Who will win? And where does India stand?
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India's presence in the UNSC in 2021 provides a unique opportunity to bring India’s capacities and performance to global notice. It will be on the inside track for critical issues like the election of a new UN Secretary General, and defining global issues like the Corona pandemic and climate change, but must also use its position to prioritise counter terrorism and maritime security, especially with Chinese expansionism in the Indo-Pacific.
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The UN turned 75 this year but instead of grand celebrations, the world witnessed an empty UNGA with world leaders addressing it via video screening because of the pandemic. The UN is under unprecedented stress and being shown up for its inability to tackle the challenges of today like the pandemics, climate change, terrorism or global peace and security. The institution's key governing structures, especially the UN Security Council, are inadequate and demand reform. India must now use gritty resolve to ensure its place in these governing structures.
