During the 6th round of intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform, India emphasized the urgency for decisive action, advocating for an inclusive framework that accurately mirrors today’s dynamic global landscape. Ruchira Kamboj, the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations in New York, reiterated India’s stance, expressing support for expanding both permanent and non-permanent membership categories of the UN Security Council. She emphasized the necessity of genuine reform to ensure the Council’s legitimacy, representation, responsiveness, and effectiveness.
Kamboj stressed the importance of a Security Council that addresses the geographical and developmental diversity within the United Nations. She underscored the need for a reformed Council that accommodates the voices of developing countries and currently underrepresented regions such as Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific. This, she argued, requires expanding membership in both categories to provide due representation.
Highlighting broad support for India’s position, Kamboj referenced the 2015 framework document, indicating that 113 out of 122 member states expressed support for expanding both categories of membership specified in the UN Charter. She contrasted this with the limited backing for the concept of longer-term non-permanent seats, which, she argued, lacks widespread endorsement and had been previously dismissed due to ineffectiveness.
Kamboj urged for clear reflection of these realities in future updates to the elements paper, emphasizing the need to accurately represent the majority support for expanding both permanent and non-permanent membership categories.
