India questions delays in UN Security Council reform, asking why five permanent members continue to override the voices of 188 countries

India has again raised questions over delays in reforming the United Nations Security Council, saying the five permanent members of the powerful UN body should not continue to override the collective voice of the world body’s 188 member states.

India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj on Friday stressed that “equity” must be the cornerstone of global efforts to reform the 15-nation United Nations body during intergovernmental talks on reforming the Security Council. “Fairness requires that every country, regardless of its size or power, should be given an equal opportunity… to influence global decision-making,” she said. “So our question is, will the will of the five member states be How long will it continue to be overwhelming?” The collective voice of 188 member states? “.

India’s top diplomat at the United Nations said there are many fundamental questions in the discussion on UN Security Council reform, but “the most fundamental question is this. Can we allow the five permanent members to forever override the collective voice of the 188 member states?” , and we all agree that this category of permanent membership is not going away?” “This has to change,” she stressed.

The Permanent Five – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States

Camboje’s comments were in reference to the five permanent members of the Security Council, who have exclusive veto power and have the power to influence the Council’s decision-making on issues related to the maintenance of international peace and security. The other 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council serve two-year terms and do not have veto power. Kamboje also stressed the need to redress “centuries of injustice.”

“I think we can probably all broadly agree that the historical injustices perpetrated against the global South can no longer be ignored,” she said, adding that now is the time to ensure political stability in regions such as Asia, Latin America and Africa. representation to correct these disparities. The United Nations Security Council adopted reforms in the categories of permanent and non-permanent members. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,” Camboy said.

She stressed the need for reforms to amplify diverse voices, saying equity requires elevating the voices of the marginalized and oppressed on the world stage. “Empowering countries in the Global South to ensure that all views are heard and respected, bringing diversity and democratic voices to the table, leading to more inclusive decision-making, and building more inclusive councils that promote wider Consensus and legitimacy of decisions.” Highlighting examples of India’s “bold leadership” leading to change, Kamboje cited the African Union becoming a full member of the G20 during Delhi’s G20 presidency.

She said this was powerful evidence of the transformative power of political will. “India’s positive stance highlights that, with determination, there is a path to meaningful reforms that ensure equity,” she said. India asserts that reforms must be guided by a bold vision for a more equitable and inclusive world. Comprehensive reform of all clusters under discussion, including the expansion of the permanent and non-permanent categories, is crucial to realizing this vision, she said.

Camboje pointed out that simply expanding the number of non-permanent members of the Security Council will not solve the problem. “In fact, it will not reform one category of the UN Security Council at all. In fact, it will further widen the gap between permanent and non-permanent members, thus perpetuating inequalities rather than eliminating them , and further entrenches a distribution system that is no longer relevant in the current geopolitical context.”

She questioned whether the international community wants to perpetuate existing inequalities simply by expanding the non-permanent category, or “whether we want to eliminate them through comprehensive reforms that address all aspects of reform.” She emphasized that the entire purpose of the reform of the United Nations Security Council is to correct historical injustices and ensure inclusive decision-making by expanding the number of members in both categories, including reforming the working methods of the Security Council, which also includes the issue of the veto power.

India has been at the forefront of efforts to reform the Security Council for years, saying it deserves a permanent seat at high-level meetings of the United Nations and that its current form does not represent the geopolitical realities of the 21st century.