USA supports India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC

• The U.S. supports India’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council (UNSC) seat.
• ‘Wilmington Declaration’ calls for UNSC reform to enhance global representation and inclusivity.
• The U.S. proposes permanent seats for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean in the UNSC.

The United States has reaffirmed its support for India’s bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as emphasized in the joint statement issued by the QUAD members and in the ‘Wilmington Declaration,’ India, Australia, Japan, and the United States stressed the urgent need for reforming the UNSC to ensure better representation, inclusivity, transparency, and accountability. This includes expanding the council to include representation from regions like Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri praised the inclusion of a detailed paragraph on UNSC reforms in the UN Summit document, noting it as a positive step toward text-based negotiations in the future. These developments come at a time when the US has proposed new permanent seats for Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, alongside its long-standing endorsement of India’s inclusion in the UNSC. This renewed push reflects the growing global consensus that the UNSC needs reform to adapt to today’s geopolitical realities.

Summit of the Future

Speaking at the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday (local time), US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken put forward the US idea of two permanent seats for Africa, one rotating seat for Small Island Developing States, and permanent representation for Latin America and the Caribbean.  

“Reforming the UN Security Council to better represent the developing world and, more broadly, the world as it is today, the United States believes that this should include two permanent seats for Africa, one rotating seat for Small Island Developing States, and permanent representation for Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to the permanent seats for countries, we’ve long endorsed Germany, Japan, and India,” he said.

History of India and a permanent seat in the UNSC

Not many people know that India had a chance to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council during the 1950s and 1960s. The permanent seat was offered to India by the United States and the then USSR quite a few times, but unfortunately, Prime Minister Nehru declined it multiple times, saying that India wanted to stay out of this and remain non-aligned. This proved to be a mistake. Nehru even suggested that China should receive a permanent seat in the UNSC, stating that China was more deserving as it was a very old civilization. This later turned out to be a blunder by Nehru’s government. The United Nations took our PM’s suggestion and offered China the permanent seat, which the Chinese accepted without hesitation. China’s People’s Republic Party was seen as the official representative of China and not the Republic of China, which now represents Taiwan. The seat was officially awarded to China in 1971.

India lost the golden opportunity to become a part of the most important council in the world. When the Indian government realized its mistake, it was too late, as whenever India’s name was put forward for a permanent seat in the UNSC, China used its veto option against India and has continued to do so at every opportunity. China knows the importance of the permanent seat in the UNSC and the veto power that comes with it. China also recognizes that India’s inclusion goes against its national interest. India has been fighting for its chance to become a permanent member since the 1970s, but unfortunately, the situation has not changed and doesn’t seem likely to change shortly.

The veto power in the UNSC allows a permanent member to unilaterally stop an official action or bill.

Lack of Action by P5 Members to bring reforms to the UNSC

The United Nations and the P5 members of the UNSC (USA, Russia, China, France, and Great Britain) have been heavily criticized for not implementing significant reforms, despite having veto powers and permanent seats. The current UNSC structure reflects the world order of 1945, which is no longer relevant in 2024. The geopolitical scenario has drastically changed since then, especially compared to the victors of World War II. Many countries argue that reforms are necessary as the United Nations has lost its relevance in today’s world order, and India has been vocal about this.

India frequently highlights that it is the world’s most populous country and the fifth-largest economy, yet it has no place in the Security Council. This suggests that the current system does not fairly represent the developing world, particularly African and South American countries.

Conclusion

The harsh truth is that the P5 or permanent members of the UNSC are unwilling to share their power with other countries. They prefer to retain this power, and despite making statements about the need for UNSC reforms, they have not taken meaningful action. The USA, UK, France, and Russia have supported India’s bid for a permanent seat in the UNSC, but no significant steps have been taken in this direction so far. As the proverb goes, “Actions speak louder than words.”

References:

• _{https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/us-supports-indias-push-for-permanent-
  membership-in-un-security-council/articleshow/113562640.cms}
• ^{https://ddnews.gov.in/en/us-has-long-endorsed-permanent-unsc-seats-for-india-germany-
  japan-antony-blinken/#:~:text=Affirming%20support%20for%20the%20reformation,for%20India%2C%20J
  apan%20and%20Germany.}

Manish BL