India Challenges New Representation Criteria in UN Security Council Reform Discussions

India's Stand on UNSC Reform

United Nations: India has voiced its opposition to the introduction of new criteria, such as religion and faith, for representation in a reformed UN Security Council, emphasizing that this contradicts the established norms of regional representation.

During the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) meeting focused on the future size of the Council and discussions on regional representation, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Haris, stated that those resisting text-based negotiations are hindering progress on UNSC reforms.

Haris remarked, "The push to incorporate new parameters like religion and faith into the representation framework undermines the principle of regional representation, which has long been the standard in the UN."

He further argued that claims suggesting an expanded and reformed Security Council would lack efficiency are merely tactics to delay meaningful reforms.

"A revamped Council, equipped with suitable working methods and accountability measures, would be capable of addressing significant global challenges effectively," he added.

India contended that a reform model that fails to expand both permanent and non-permanent memberships would not fulfill the reform objectives, thereby reinforcing the existing status quo.

Prior to his national remarks, Haris articulated a statement on behalf of the G4 nations—Brazil, Germany, Japan, and India—highlighting that regional representation is a time-honored practice within the UN.

The G4 emphasized that introducing new criteria, such as religious affiliation, contradicts established UN practices and complicates an already challenging discussion.

They pointed out that the current UN structure is outdated and does not reflect the present geopolitical landscape, necessitating a thorough review.

Haris stated, "Those who resist genuine reforms that mirror contemporary realities are on the wrong side of history, which is detrimental to all of us."

He outlined the G4's vision for UNSC reform, proposing an increase in Council membership from 15 to 25 or 26, with a structure comprising 11 permanent members and 14 or 15 non-permanent members.

At present, the influential UN body includes five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US, while the remaining 10 members serve two-year terms as non-permanent members.

India last held a non-permanent seat in the Council during the 2021-22 term.

The G4 reiterated that any reform lacking expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories is seen as incomplete by the broader membership.

They noted that proposals focusing solely on expanding the non-permanent category overlook the existing disparities in the permanent category, failing to address the non-representation and underrepresentation issues, particularly for the developing world and Africa.

The G4 asserted that merely adding non-permanent members would not significantly alter the power dynamics within the Council, potentially further entrenching the influence of permanent members.

Moreover, the group stressed that achieving substantial reforms, like any other UN process, requires text-based negotiations with clearly defined timelines and milestones.

Following the Pact for The Future's recognition of the urgency for reform, the G4 encouraged Member States and Regional Groups to propose additional reform models to facilitate text-based negotiations.

"We urge the Chair to initiate text-based negotiations promptly, ideally by the end of the current IGN," they stated.

The G4 also emphasized that the decision regarding which Member States would become permanent members of a reformed Council should be made democratically by the General Assembly.

The Uniting for Consensus (UfC) Group, which includes Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, San Marino, Spain, Turkiye, and Italy, reiterated its stance on increasing Security Council seats solely in the non-permanent category.

UfC advocates for a 27-member Security Council without expanding the number of permanent members, which currently stands at five.

Bahrain, speaking on behalf of the Arab group, reiterated the demand for Arab representation with full privileges in the permanent seat category within an expanded Council.

"We also reaffirm that just representation necessitates proportionate Arab representation in the non-permanent seat category within the expanded Security Council," the Arab group stated, emphasizing that their demands are based on objective criteria, including population size and the number of Arab UN member states, as well as the relevance of many agenda items to the Arab region.

"This necessitates equitable and proportionate Arab representation within the expanded Security Council," they concluded.

France reaffirmed its support for India's bid for a permanent seat in the Council. "We advocate for granting two permanent seats to African states, as well as for Brazil, India, Germany, and Japan, for the permanent seats that would be created for their geographical groups," stated France's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Jay Dharmadhikari.

"France considers it legitimate for future permanent members to request all the prerogatives associated with this status, including the right of veto," Dharmadhikari added.