America, France, Russia and now Britain, India’s claim in the Security Council strengthened but China still a wall

New Delhi : More than 7 decades have passed since the establishment of the United Nations. The world has changed a lot since then, but the structure of the United Nations Security Council has not changed. India has been continuously advocating for reform of the Security Council. Claiming its permanent membership in UNSC. Now his/her claim has been further strengthened. After America and France, Britain has also supported making India a permanent member of the Security Council. Russia has already been in support of India’s claim. In this way, New Delhi’s claim for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council has been significantly strengthened. Now the only obstacle in the way is the ‘China Wall’. Among the 5 permanent members of UNSC, only China is not in support of India’s claim. Last week, US President Joe Biden supported India’s claim for permanent membership of UNSC. After that, French President Emmanuel Macron announced in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly that his/her country is in favor of making India a permanent member of the Security Council. Now British PM Keir Starmer has also supported this.

During his/her speech at the United Nations, British Prime Minister Starmer said that the Security Council should become a more representative body. ‘The Security Council must be transformed so that it becomes a more representative body, ready to act – not paralyzed by politics,’ he/she said. “We want to see permanent African representation in the Council, Brazil, India, Japan and Germany as permanent members and more seats for elected members.”

India has been demanding reforms in the UNSC for a long time. India argues that the 15-member council, established in 1945, is ‘outdated and fails to represent the current geopolitical landscape of the 21st century.’ India was a non-permanent member of the UNSC from 2021 to 2022. There is a growing call to expand the number of permanent members to better reflect today’s global landscape.

In the current UNGA session, the G-4 countries – India, Japan, Brazil and Germany – have strongly raised the demand for reform in the Security Council. These four countries support each other’s claim for permanent membership of the Security Council. Their demand is that the United Nations should reflect current geopolitical realities so that it remains fit for the present as well as the future.

French President Macron also supported India’s permanent membership in the UNSC during his/her speech at the UNGA. he/she said, ‘We have a Security Council that is blocked… Let’s make the UN more efficient. We have to make it more representative. Macron further said, ‘That is why France is in favor of the expansion of the Security Council. Germany, Japan, India and Brazil should be made permanent members, along with two countries that Africa will choose to represent itself.’

This comment of Macron comes a few days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at the ‘Summit of the Future’. In his/her address on Sunday, PM Modi had stressed that reforms in institutions are necessary for global peace and development. he/she stressed that the key to relevance is improvement.

Addressing the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned the 15-nation UNSC, which he/she described as ‘outdated’ and whose authority is waning. he/she said that if its structure and working methods were not improved it would eventually lose all its credibility.

France is in favor of the expansion of the Security Council. Germany, Japan, India and Brazil should be made permanent members, along with two countries that Africa would choose to represent itself.

French President Emmanuel Macron

The UN Security Council consists of 15 members: five permanent and 10 non-permanent. The permanent members (America, China, France, Russia and Britain) have veto power, which makes them extremely powerful. 10 temporary members are elected for a two-year term. The council’s main functions include investigating conflicts, conducting peacekeeping operations, and imposing sanctions when necessary. It plays an important role in dealing with global crises and conflicts, making it an essential institution in international diplomacy.

However, the Security Council has failed to keep pace with the changing times. Neither Africa has any member among the permanent members nor even India, the most populous country in the world, has found a place. Well-known American industrialist Elon Musk has also expressed surprise that India has not yet got permanent membership of the Security Council.

China is the biggest obstacle in the way of reforming the United Nations Security Council and especially increasing the number of permanent members. It is the only Asian country which is a permanent member of the UNSC. It can thwart efforts to make India a permanent member. Not only this, he/she is also strongly opposed to neighboring Japan’s claim for permanent membership.

(with agency input)