United Nations: India has raised serious concerns over the prolonged delay in reforming the United Nations Security Council, saying nearly two decades of negotiations have failed to deliver any meaningful outcome. New Delhi warned that the reform process cannot remain blocked due to the “narrow and divisive interests” of a few countries.
The United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday agreed to continue the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reforms during its upcoming 81st session. The decision marks the continuation of a process that has now completed 17 rounds of discussions without producing a clear roadmap, agreement, or timeline for implementation.
The negotiations, focused on achieving “equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council”, will resume when the next UN General Assembly session begins in September.
India supported the consensus decision to carry forward the talks but expressed disappointment over the lack of progress and the repeated delays in reaching a substantive agreement.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said previous IGN sessions have failed to generate concrete initiatives that could lead to genuine institutional reform.
“The 80th IGN session, like the previous sessions, has not been successful in forging any outcomes or initiatives that could pave the way for implementing real reforms,” Harish said during his remarks at the UN General Assembly.
He noted that discussions have largely repeated the existing positions of member states and regional groups rather than moving towards practical solutions.
India Questions Endless Cycle of Negotiations
Highlighting the prolonged nature of the reform process, Ambassador Harish referred to the Indian philosophical concept of repeated cycles before achieving liberation.
“The IGN has been through seventeen cycles already. Sadly, however, there is no liberation in sight. How much longer should the world wait?” he said.
India argued that continuing discussions without measurable progress weakens confidence in the effectiveness of the United Nations system.
Harish said that every year spent repeating previous positions from UN headquarters in New York reduces hopes of creating an organisation capable of addressing modern global challenges.
According to India, the inability of the Security Council to effectively respond to major international conflicts has increased frustration among nations and citizens worldwide.
“The need for comprehensive UN Security Council reforms cannot be more pronounced, and more urgent,” Harish said, adding that the process should not be controlled by the limited interests of a few member states.
New Delhi Pushes for Text Based Negotiations
India stressed that a practical solution requires structured negotiations based on official texts, clear deadlines, and defined milestones.
New Delhi has consistently argued that any meaningful reform must include expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of the Security Council.
India believes that increasing representation of developing nations, particularly countries from the Global South, is essential to making the UN’s most powerful decision making body more inclusive and representative.
“India stands fully ready to contribute to this endeavour. It is our sincere hope that the 81st IGN session would mark a new beginning on this count,” Harish said.
India Seeks Greater Role for Global South
The Security Council currently consists of 15 members, including five permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom — who hold veto powers.
India has repeatedly maintained that the current structure does not reflect today’s geopolitical realities and fails to provide adequate representation to emerging economies and developing regions.
New Delhi has warned that expanding only the non-permanent category would not bring fundamental change because the decision-making authority would continue to remain concentrated among the five permanent members.
India has been advocating for permanent membership along with other countries that seek greater representation for Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Campaign Begins for UNSC Non-Permanent Seat
Meanwhile, India has started its campaign for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council for the 2028-29 term.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently launched India’s official campaign, with elections scheduled for June next year. India will compete against Tajikistan for the single seat allocated to the Asia-Pacific Group.
India previously served on the Security Council during the 2021-22 term, marking its eighth stint at the UN’s top security body.
Earlier terms included periods in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, and 2011-12.
Divisions Continue Over Expansion Model
While India and several other nations support expanding both permanent and elected membership categories, some countries favour a different approach.
The Uniting for Consensus (UfC) Group, which includes countries such as Canada, Pakistan, Türkiye, and Italy, has proposed increasing the number of non-permanent seats without adding new permanent members.
The group has suggested expanding the Security Council to 27 members while keeping the number of permanent members unchanged.
India has opposed this approach, arguing that such a model would not significantly alter the existing balance of power within the Council.
Future of UN Reform Remains Uncertain
As the reform discussions move into their 18th year, India has urged member states to move beyond repeated statements and focus on achieving practical results.
New Delhi believes that a more representative Security Council is necessary to address current global challenges, including conflicts, security threats, and development concerns.
India has said the upcoming UN General Assembly session should provide an opportunity for countries to adopt a more focused approach and bring long-awaited changes to the international organisation’s decision-making structure.