India has renewed its call for comprehensive reforms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), urging that all permanent members be granted equal rights and responsibilities, including the power to veto resolutions.
Speaking at the United Nations, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, said reforms must address five key areas: categories of membership, regional representation, the Council’s size, working methods and the use of veto power.
Harish stressed that the veto carries significant responsibility and must be exercised with restraint, particularly on matters concerning international peace and security. He warned against using the power for narrow political interests.
The veto is currently held by the five permanent members of the Security Council — the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China.
Highlighting its historical use, Harish said the veto had been exercised 331 times on around 200 resolutions over the UN’s history. He argued that its disproportionate use by a small number of countries had undermined the Council’s credibility.
He also pointed to the 2022 UN initiative requiring a General Assembly debate whenever a permanent member exercises its veto, noting that the continued use of the power had raised questions about accountability.
India maintained that addressing the veto issue in isolation would be ineffective and called for text-based negotiations covering all aspects of Security Council reform. Harish also reiterated India’s support for the Common African Position, which seeks a unified African voice on global and continental issues.
Emphasising equality among permanent members, India argued that creating a new category of permanent membership with or without veto powers would further complicate the reform process. It maintained that fairness and justice require all permanent members to enjoy the same rights and responsibilities.
The call comes amid longstanding demands to make the Security Council more representative of contemporary global realities and to address concerns over the concentration of decision-making power among its five permanent members.
