Need reformed council that better reflects diversity in UN, says India

PTI

United Nations, April 16

India has underscored the need for a reformed UN Security Council that better reflects the geographical and developmental diversity of the United Nations today, emphasising that the majority of the world body’s membership supports calls for expanding permanent seats in the powerful organ.

Favour expansion of membership

India is in favour of expansion of UN Security Council membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, as this is the only way to achieve genuine reform of the UNSC and make it legitimate, representative, responsive and effective. Ruchira Kamboj, India’s permanent representative to the UN

India has been at the forefront, especially leading the Global South, demanding reforms in the United Nations and seeking a place as a permanent member of the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC).

“India is in favour of expansion of UN Security Council membership in both the permanent and non-permanent categories, as this is the only way to achieve genuine reform of the Security Council and make it legitimate, representative, responsive and effective,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said on Monday.

Addressing the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) meeting on Security Council Reform on Co-Chairs Elements Paper, Kamboj underlined the need for “a reformed Security Council that better reflects the geographical and developmental diversity of the United Nations today”.

“A Security Council where voices of developing countries and unrepresented regions, including Africa, Latin America and the vast majority of Asia and Pacific, also find their due place at the horseshoe table. And for this, an expansion of the council in both categories of membership is absolutely essential,” she said.

The current UNSC comprises five permanent members (the US, the UK, China, France and Russia) and 10 non-permanent members. She noted that some member states kept pushing the argument that expansion in the permanent categories of the UNSC would be “undemocratic”.

“We fail to understand how something that is clearly being called for by the majority of the membership would be undemocratic. We cannot continue to be hostage to a minority in the IGN,” she said, in an apparent reference to countries like Pakistan, which has been opposing the expansion in permanent categories of the UNSC.