New York : In a powerful address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron voiced strong support for India’s inclusion as a permanent member of a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Macron’s endorsement also extended to Brazil, Germany, Japan, and two African nations.
“Let’s make the UN more efficient. We need to make it more representative, and that’s why France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded,” Macron declared. “Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil should be permanent members, along with two countries that Africa will decide to represent them.”
What Is the UNSC?
The United Nations Security Council is one of the six main organs of the UN, tasked with maintaining international peace and security. It comprises 15 members: five permanent members with veto power (the United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The Council’s primary functions include investigating conflicts, establishing peacekeeping operations, imposing sanctions, and authorizing military action when necessary. It plays a crucial role in addressing global crises and conflicts, making it a key player in international diplomacy.
Why Are Reforms Needed?
The call for equitable representation in the UNSC has been on the Assembly’s agenda since 1979. However, the demand for reform has intensified amid increasing global conflicts. The UN General Assembly concluded its discussion on Security Council reform in November 2022, with member states agreeing on the need to modernize the 15-member body to maintain the relevance of the United Nations. The UNSC’s failure to pass resolutions to stop the Russia-Ukraine war has raised questions about the veto power of some permanent members.
“The veto is not a right, but rather a privilege unfairly granted to some member states in violation of the United Nations Charter,” emphasized the representative of Iran. He also noted that the majority of the Council’s members were Western nations. For years, several member states have supported the idea of expanding both the permanent and non-permanent member categories.
India’s Bid for a Permanent Seat
Several nations, including permanent UNSC members like the US, have expressed support for India’s inclusion in this powerful group. However, China has opposed such a move. Under successive governments, India has continued its efforts to advance UNSC reforms, actively engaging in the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the Security Council reform. As part of the G4, which includes Brazil, Germany, and Japan, New Delhi has advocated for expanding the UNSC to include more nations as permanent members to reflect current geopolitical realities.
Macron’s latest push for India’s bid came just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for reformed multilateral forums at the UN stage. On Monday, PM Modi stressed that the future relevance of UN agencies hinges on how swiftly they can reform, implicitly referencing India’s bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council. The long-pending UNSC reform continues to be a significant talking point.
On Sunday, Quad leaders called for urgent reforms to the UNSC to make it more representative and called for its expansion to include representation from more countries. After the leaders’ summit in President Joe Biden’s hometown, Quad leaders called for expanded permanent membership to include representation from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
“We will reform the UN Security Council, recognizing the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic, and accountable through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UNSC,” the Quad leaders stated.
