Indian candidate voted into key UN committee after closely contested competition

Indian candidate has been chosen in majority after a closely contested `race as a part of key UN Committee which is the monitoring and controlling body, or the financial and budgetary purse of the world body.

Vidisha Maitra, who is presently working as the first secretary in the permanent mission of India to UN, based in New York, was voted for the Advisory Committee on the basis of Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) backed with 126 votes and over 64.

There were two candidates contesting for the post in the committee fir Asia Pacific Group, Maitra and an Iranian candidate.

Right from its inception, India has served as a member of the committee, and a place amid the committee is regarded as highly prestigious in the UN system. India’s win is important as it will commence the two year tenure as the non-permanent member of the UN in the following year.

ACABQ is the committee that executes various functions, which comprises of assessment of the budget presented by the UN Secretary General to the General Assembly and giving suggestions to the General Assembly on administrative and budgetary matters. Its members are chosen by 193 member states in the General Assembly on the grounds of broad geographical representation, personal qualification and experience which comes with a tenure of three years.