After the US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron, now the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also backed India’s bid for a permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
While addressing the 79th Session of the UN General Assembly, Starmer said, “If we want the system to deliver for the poorest and most vulnerable then their voices must be heard. We need to make the system more representative and more responsive to those who need it most. So we will make the case not just for fairer outcomes, but fairer representation in how we reach them.”
Apart from India, the recently elected British PM also backed other countries to be given representation as well, including Germany, Japan and Brazil “This also applies to the Security Council. It has to change to become a more representative body, willing to act – not paralysed by politics. We want to see permanent African representation on the Council, Brazil, India, Japan and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected members as well,” he added.
Backing From France and the United States
Meanwhile, France too backed India for a permanent seat at the UNSC, speaking at the United Nations Assembly on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron said, “We have a Security Council that is blocked. Let’s make the UN more efficient. We have to make it more representative. That’s why, France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded. Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil should be permanent members, as well as two countries that Africa will decide to represent it.”
The remarks from both countries come at the back of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s three-day trip to the United States, where he met up with many international leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Modi was also hosted by the US President Joe Biden at his residence in Delaware on September 21. Biden also assured his backing for India as a permanent member of the UNSC. During his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his home, Biden confirmed that the US supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council.
India’s Claim for Permanent Membership in the UNSC
India has been pushing for the reformation of the Security Council for a long while, it has consistently put forth the view that it should be included in a new reformed setup. India believes that the existing UNSC structure is archaic and is far from the current geo-political reality. It fails to include entire continents and ignoring the most populated country on the planet lessens its stature and value.
During the UNSC Open Debate on Leadership for Peace, Tanmaya Lal, Secretary (West) of the Ministry of External Affairs, stressed the urgent need for reform within the UNSC. Emphasising the outdated nature of the UNSC’s design, Lal pointed out that it was established eight decades ago during a time when many UN member states were still colonies. He remarked “The UNSC has to become representative, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable. Text-based negotiations must begin. Those opposing a meaningful change to the global governance structure are damaging UN’s legitimacy, overshadowing its contribution in developmental and humanitarian sectors.
In a joint statement after the Quad Leaders’ Summit last week, India, the US, Japan and Australia had affirmed their stand for urgent reforms, “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 UN Security Council. This expansion of permanent seats should include representation for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in a reformed Security Council.”
What Should India Expect
While China has been openly opposed to India’s bid, it remains to be seen whether the Western nations are offering only a lip service or will actually back India’s permanent bid. India’s stand in international geo politics is largely independent, and it is not swayed by lobbies from any side. Previously Western countries have put immense pressure on India to condemn and act against Russia due to the Ukraine-Russia conflict, but so far India has refused to be swayed by these pressures and adopted its own strategies.
The Indian government have affirmed that their priority is the welfare of their own people and not to please global lobbies. It has even continued trade with sanctioned countries like Iran and Russia, these acts have massively irked western nations. And though they have offered to back the Indian bid for the UNSC permanent seat, it is best to take these words with a pinch of salt.