Delay in UNSC reforms and India's permanent membership has compromised global governance: Expert

India's efforts to obtain permanent membership involve a complex process and require approval from the existing permanent members, each holding veto power. The issue is part of a broader discussion on UN Security Council reform, with the outcome dependent on diplomatic negotiations among member states, making it an ongoing and evolving matter, writes ETV Bharat's Chandrakala Choudhury.

New Delhi: There has been a tremendous push for India’s permanent membership, in the last few years, at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) given India's successful journey as a strategic nation in the changing world order. From successfully producing a consensus document at the recently concluded G20 Summit in New Delhi to the Chandrayaan 3 mission, along with global appreciation for successful events, prompted India to claim strongly for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. After the UK, Australia and the US, the world’s richest person and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, has now backed India to become a permanent member of the UNSC. In a post on X, Musk said, “India not having a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite being the most populous country on Earth, is absurd."

In a quick conversation with ETV Bharat, foreign policy expert and India’s former ambassador, Anil Trigunayat said, “I think people have begun to see, realize and voice the absurdity of UN and UNSC that remains mired in the geopolitics and 20th century mindset of Victor and the vanquished especially some of the P5 countries which want to delay it as far as possible. This has compromised global governance and rendered it useless. India is the obvious choice of a very large international community being a responsible founding member of the UN”.

Undoubtedly, India deserves a place at the table as, for the past few decades now, India has pushed for the reform of the UNSC, which is crucial in the changing geopolitical scenario, especially to maintain peace and security at the international level to deal with the current global crisis.

While members like France, Russia, the UK, and the US have pushed India's bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC, China has been the only member against the proposal. Apart from the five permanent members, the UNSC consists of 10 non-permanent members, elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.

The Council has not been expanded since 1965 and India believes that China has been the major hurdle in becoming the permanent member of the UNSC. India has often argued for a permanent seat at the UNSC, stressing that the current body was very limited in terms of representation. It is pertinent to note that to become a permanent member of the UNSC, a country will need the backing of two-thirds of members of the UN General Assembly and all the P5 nations, which has been delayed so far. India has in the past criticised further delay over UNSC reforms and emphasised that the process could go on for another 75 years.

On December 1, 2022, India assumed the monthly rotating presidency of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the second time in its two-year tenure as an elected member of the Council in 2021-22. India had earlier assumed the UNSC presidency in August 2021.

During its tenure, India made every effort to bridge different voices within the UN body. India’s voice in the global body is heard and recognised with utmost importance. India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the prestigious UN body on eight occasions that is 1950, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1991, 2011 and 2020. The first talk of India being included as a permanent member of the UNSC came up during former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's visit to the US in 1949.

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