India is collaborating with pro-reform countries to become permanent UNSC member: MEA

Acquiring support among the members of the United Nations (UN) member states, India is in collaboration with other pro-reform countries while making continuous efforts to expand the UN Security Council (UNSC) members in both permanent and non-permanent categories, said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on September 17. According to ANI reports, while replying to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha enquiring about Indian government’s efforts to acquire a permanent membership of the UNSC, Minister of State (MoS) MEA V Muraleedharan said that the government has accorded the “highest priority” to the same and is in collaboration with other member states sharing the same view. 

V Muraleedharan said, "Government has accorded the highest priority to getting permanent membership for India in an expanded UN Security Council that reflects contemporary global realities. India in collaboration with other pro-reform countries has been consistently making efforts to build support among the UN Member States for expansion of the UNSC, in both permanent and non-permanent categories."

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Nature of India's UNSC membership depends on an agreement

Muraleedharan also noted that India is one of the largest contributors to the UN peacekeeping forces in cumulative terms that according to him further enhances the nation’s credentials for seeking the permanent seat in the committee. Further mentioning the reasons for India has still not got the place as a permanent member at the UNSC, the lawmaker said that the question of nation’s membership would be considered only after an agreement on the nature and extent of expansion of the Council is arrived at keeping in mind the UN Charter. This, however, requires a nod of at least two-thirds of the member states. 

"As per decision 62/557 of the General Assembly (on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council), beginning 2009, discussions on UNSC reforms have started to take place in the UN General Assembly, through the Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) process. The IGN is presently the principal platform for discussing various aspects of Security Council reform, including categories of membership of the Council, the question of the veto, regional representation, size of an enlarged Council, etc. There is a section of UN member states that supports expansion only in the non-permanent category and is opposed to an expansion of permanent membership," he said.

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(With ANI inputs)