Font size:
Print
Permanent Seat for India at UN
Context:
The United States reaffirmed its support for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council for India, Japan, and Germany while also pushing for text-based negotiations to advance the stalled reform process.
More on News:
- The Security Council reform process, known as Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN), has been stalled by a small group of countries that oppose the adoption of a negotiating text.
- Without such a text to guide the agenda and discussions, talks have been stuck in a repetitive cycle since 2009, starting over each year.
- India and other nations have been advocating for the adoption of a negotiating text, and the US support is expected to provide momentum to the process.
- Opposition to adopting a negotiating text has come from the 12-member Uniting for Consensus (UfC) group, which opposes the expansion of permanent membership.
- UfC argues that a consensus must be reached before a negotiating text is adopted.
USA’s Perspective:
- In her speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, Thomas-Greenfield emphasised the need for two permanent seats for Africa, a continent with 1.5 billion people across 55 nations and where half of the Council’s peacekeeping operations are focused.
- Currently, Africa has three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, rotating every two years.
- Thomas-Greenfield pointed out that the UN’s current structures, established after World War II and modified in 1965, no longer reflect the modern world with its 193 member states.
- Thomas-Greenfield also said the US advocates for a non-permanent seat for landlocked developing countries and a permanent seat for Latin America and the Caribbean, though she did not endorse Brazil’s bid for the latter.
- The US does not support granting veto power to any new permanent members.
Arguments For and Against:
