New York, Aug 20: India has renewed its call for urgent UNSC reforms, arguing that the United Nations Security Council must be reshaped to reflect contemporary global realities and provide stronger representation to developing countries and the Global South.
Addressing a UN Security Council open debate on its working methods, Yojna Patel, Charge d’Affaires at India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, said the case for restructuring the 15-member body had become increasingly urgent.
Patel pointed out that the United Nations has changed significantly since 1945, with its membership having expanded several times. She said the structure created in the aftermath of World War II could not continue to define the composition and functioning of the Security Council indefinitely.
India has consistently advocated expanding the Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, while seeking enhanced representation for developing nations. Patel said such changes should be pursued through text-based negotiations backed by clearly defined milestones and timelines.
She also stressed that discussions on the Council’s working methods should form part of a comprehensive reform process rather than being considered separately.
According to India, questions surrounding membership, regional representation and the veto are closely connected to how the Security Council operates. Changes to its working procedures, therefore, should support wider institutional reforms.
Patel also raised concerns over the continued provisional status of the Council’s Rules of Procedure. She argued that the existing framework should not be treated as a barrier to introducing changes, particularly those aimed at expanding membership.
Calling for greater transparency, India said all Security Council members should receive equal access to documents and relevant information. Patel maintained that historical records should not remain accessible only to a limited group of countries.
New Delhi also highlighted the role of nations contributing troops and police personnel to UN peacekeeping operations. Patel said troop- and police-contributing countries should have a meaningful role in decisions concerning peacekeeping mandates, resources and other major operational matters.
India further urged the Council to address delays in appointing chairs of its subsidiary bodies. Patel called for a fixed and binding timeline to ensure that appointments are completed without unnecessary delays.
On counter-terrorism, India cautioned against allowing political considerations to influence decisions concerning the listing or delisting of terrorist organisations. Patel said Security Council membership should not be used to advance political objectives and stressed the need for objective criteria and supporting evidence.
India also called for stronger coordination between the Security Council and the UN General Assembly. Patel described the General Assembly as the UN’s most universal and democratic body and said closer engagement between the two principal organs would strengthen the organisation’s overall functioning.
New Delhi’s intervention comes amid long-standing international discussions over reforming the Security Council to make it more representative of the current geopolitical landscape. India has repeatedly argued that developing countries, particularly those from the Global South, need a greater role in global decision making.
Patel’s remarks underlined India’s broader position that meaningful institutional reform should address both the composition and functioning of the Security Council, rather than focusing solely on procedural changes.