New Delhi calls out attempts to limit representation at UN Security Council
India has said those who oppose comprehensive reform of the global body are “on the wrong side of history”
India has called for sweeping reforms to make the UN Security Council “fit for purpose,” arguing that it should have more members from underrepresented regions.
Speaking at a meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiations framework (IGN) – a group of countries working to reform the Security Council (UNSC) – on Tuesday, India’s permanent representative to the UN, P. Harish, said the current geopolitical realities point to the need for a review of the global architecture.
“Reform is essential to make the UN fit for purpose, to enable it to respond meaningfully to the current global challenges… And those who do not endorse real reforms that reflect contemporary realities fall on the wrong side of history, which is detrimental to all of us,” he stated on behalf of the G4 group of nations, which also includes Brazil, Germany and Japan.
The proposed G4 model for UNSC reform discussed at the 2024 IGN meetings includes expanding Security Council membership from 15 to 25 or 26 – comprising 11 permanent members and 14 or 15 non-permanent members, according to Harish.
Only expanding the non-permanent category ignores the existing imbalances in the permanent category and does not address the concerns of the developing world, especially Africa, the G4 said. Currently, the Security Council has five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the US, and UK, and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
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PR @AmbHarishP delivered the statement of G4 ( ???????? ???????? ???????? ???????? ) at the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council reforms, focused on size and regional representation. @MEAIndia @UN @GermanyUN @JapanMissionUN @Brazil_UN_NY pic.twitter.com/eRm3TfRVIw
Harish argued that there is a need to ensure “equitable geographic representation.” According to the proposal, the new permanent members would include two from Africa, two from the Asia-Pacific region, one from Latin America and the Caribbean, and one from Western Europe.
Harish also spoke against attempts to use religion as a basis for including countries. “Attempts to introduce new parameters, such as religion and faith, as the basis for representation in a reformed council runs completely counter to regional representation, which has been the accepted basis for representation in the UN.”
France, which holds the presidency of the UNSC this month, has expressed support for permanent Indian membership in the Security Council. According to France’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Jay Dharmadhikari, Paris is in favor of allocating two permanent seats to African nations, as well as permanent seats for Brazil, India, Germany, and Japan. Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres vowed to ensure that Africa has two permanent seats before his tenure ends in 2026.