New Delhi. India has been claiming permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a long time. After Russia and America, France and Britain have also received great support for this claim of India. French President Emmanuel Macron and then British Prime Minister Keir Stormer have supported India’s claim for permanent membership in the UNSC.
The United Nations Security Council consists of 15 members, of which five are permanent and 10 are non-permanent. Permanent members include America, China, France, Russia and Britain, who have veto power. This veto makes him a very powerful member of the United Nations. This is the reason why India has also been insisting for a long time that it has the right to get a place in the Security Council as a permanent member.
What did Britain say on India’s membership?
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Stormer said, ‘The Security Council must be transformed so that it becomes a more representative body, which is not paralyzed by politics, but is ready for action…’ He said that the UNSC India, Japan, Brazil and Germany should be made permanent members. Along with this, more seats should be increased for elected members.
Macron also advocated making India a permanent member
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron had also supported India’s permanent membership in the Security Council in his speech at UNGA on Wednesday. He said, ‘We have a Security Council that is blocked… Let’s make the UN more efficient. We have to make it more representative. Macron also said, ‘France is in favor of the expansion of the Security Council. Germany, Japan, India and Brazil should be permanent members, along with two countries that Africa will choose to represent itself.’
On the other hand, Bhutan and Portugal, while addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, also advocated India’s permanent membership in the Security Council. Bhutan’s Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay said India, with its significant economic growth and leadership in the Global South, deserves a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
Bhutan and Portugal also supported
In his address at the 79th session of the UNGA on Friday, Tobgay said, ‘The United Nations must evolve to meet the realities of today’s world. The Security Council, such as it is, is a relic of the past. We need a council that reflects the current geopolitical, economic landscape and social realities.
Before Tobgay, Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro also supported India’s permanent seat in the UNSC. “We want to move forward with the reform of the global governance system to guarantee greater representation, transparency, justice and cooperation,” he said, calling for reform of the Security Council to make it more representative, agile and functional. He said, ‘Portugal supports the African common vision and the aspirations of Brazil and India to become permanent members.’
America and Russia also continued supporting
US President Joe Biden had also called for expanding the UNSC and giving permanent membership to India in it. At the same time, Russia has been in favor of India’s permanent representation in the United Security Council since its independence. In such a situation, after Russia and America, now after France and Britain have come in support, the question arises that where is the problem in India’s permanent membership?
China repeatedly creates hurdles
Answering this question, political analyst Arvind Jayatilak believes that the answer to this question of India is China and America. He says, ‘Even though China now considers India a threat to its dominance in the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region, America is also responsible to a great extent for this problem of India. Currently, China uses veto in the Security Council to prevent India from getting the veto. Or when he has no answer left, he starts singing his tune of giving veto to Pakistan also. It is important to understand this matter separately from China’s angle.
America was against it earlier
He further says that China is definitely a staunch opponent of India, but America has now agreed to give India a permanent seat in the Security Council, this was not always the situation. Since India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was a socialist democracy, we were closer to the then Soviet Union, due to which America was against us. As we have also seen in the India-Pakistan war of 1971.
This is the reason why America not only opposed India everywhere, but also used all its allies against India. This is the reason why the anti-India environment created by America still exists. In the same sequence, Britain also opposed the permanent seat of India. However, now it remains to be seen that when America has come on our side, how long will China and its allies like Pakistan be able to stop India’s growing dominance. (with agency input)
Tag: India News, UNSC meetings
first published : September 28, 2024, 11:11 IST
