India’s UN Security Council permanent seat: ‘We need to reach a consensus’ – ex-diplomat on why ‘the world needs India’ | Exclusive | Today’s news
Pressure to reform the United Nations Security Council has gathered momentum, with the G4 grouping of India, Brazil, Germany and Japan renewing their call for change at the eight-decade-old body.
In a joint statement released on Thursday, G4 foreign ministers described the current structure of the UN Security Council as “anachronistic” and said reform was “needed more than ever” in an increasingly challenging global environment.
The grouping also reiterated its support for greater representation of African countries in the Security Council.
Separately, four members of the Visegrad Group – Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic – also expressed their joint support.
Against this background, former diplomat Suresh Goel, who served at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York from 1991-95, explained why India’s bid for permanent membership transcends its own national interests.
“The question is not why it is important for India to have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, but why the world needs India as a permanent member,” Goel said.
“The Security Council is the main organ of the United Nations responsible for matters relating to international peace and security. Its decisions on peacekeeping operations, sanctions and other international security issues are significantly shaped by the veto-wielding permanent members,” he said.
Goel said India’s case is also linked to its role as a representative of the global South.
“India is not just a country of 1.4 billion people. It is a country of the Global South, a country that pioneered the process of non-alignment and represents the interests and aspirations of a large number of countries in Africa, Latin America and other parts of the developing world,” he said.
“India’s claim to permanent membership is therefore also based on its role as the voice of the Global South,” Goel added.
No two-tier permanent membership
Goel also rejected the possibility of India being given a permanent seat without the same powers as existing permanent members, particularly the veto power.
“All permanent members of the Security Council should have similar powers. There cannot be two tiers of permanent membership – one with veto and one without. Such an arrangement is not acceptable to India,” he said.
Read also | Mint Explainer: How India is pushing for UN Security Council reform?
The issue of the veto power has remained central to the UNSC reform debate, with proposals differing as to whether the new permanent members should have the same powers as the existing five permanent members.
The UN General Assembly is only one part of the reform process
While the annual UN General Assembly provides an important diplomatic platform for discussions on Security Council reform, Goel said negotiations will continue beyond the current session.
“The UNSC reform process does not remain confined to the UNGA period. The UNGA provides a platform for countries to express their political views on UNSC reform and most countries have supported the reform as well as India’s permanent membership in the reformed Security Council,” he said.
“India will continue to assert that it is a legitimate and legitimate candidate for permanent membership. But discussions and negotiations on reform will continue even after the UN General Assembly,” Goel added.
India must continue to build consensus
The next step for India, according to Goel, would be to continue building support among UN member states.
“The idea is to continue to build consensus. Several options are being discussed at the UN, including the G4 framework and other proposals. The goal should be to build consensus around a model that countries can agree on,” he said.
“The restructuring of the Security Council requires the consent of the UN members and the permanent members have a key say in the process. We therefore need to build consensus and India will continue to do so,” he added.
China’s position on the reform of the UN Security Council
China continues to be particularly important to India’s reform efforts at the UN Security Council, as it is one of the existing five permanent members.
Goel said there appeared to be a “slight change” in Beijing’s stance on India’s role in the reformed Security Council.
“In the recent Delhi Declaration and recent UN General Assembly resolutions, we have seen China agree to a more important role for India in a reformed Security Council,” he said.
“We don’t know exactly what China means by ‘more important role’, but it reflects a change. We need to build on that,” Goel added.
India needs China’s support for UNSC bid
Goel, who served in India’s UN mission, said his experience shows how important it is to involve permanent members in any reform process.
“My own experience is that in any process of restructuring or reforming the Security Council, the decision-making role of the permanent members is extremely important. Therefore, we need to build a process that involves the permanent members so that they do not veto the outcome,” he said.
“China clearly has a different view of the issue. We need to ensure that China’s reservations are addressed and convince China to accept India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the reformed Security Council,” Goel said.
“It’s a very slow and difficult process, but it’s the only way to move forward,” he added.
