India has rejected the introduction of new parameters, such as religion and faith, as the basis for UNSC’s permanent membership. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish said that the latest attempts are contrary to the concept of ‘regional representation’.
India has rejected the attempts to introduce new parameters, including religion and faith as the basis for representation in a reformed UN Security Council (UNSC). New Delhi asserted that the latest attempts to include new criteria stand opposed to the accepted basis of regional representation. Participating in the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) meeting on ‘Size of the Future Council and cluster discussion on Regional Representation’, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish said that those opposed to text-based negotiations do not seek progress on UNSC reforms.
India calls out attempts to introduce new parameters for UNSC permanent membership
Calling out the attempts to introduce new parameters, such as religion and faith, as the basis for representation in a reformed Council, Harish emphasised that the latest attempt “runs completely counter to regional representation, which has been the accepted basis for representation in the UN.”
He also slammed the argument that an expanded and reformed Security Council would not be efficient as an attempt to stall real reforms, adding, “A reformed Council, with appropriate working methods and accountability mechanisms, would be equipped to function effectively and deliver meaningfully on pressing global issues.”
The Indian representative highlighted that a consolidated model that fails to cover expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories would not achieve the purpose of reform, further entrenching the status quo.
What is G4? Which countries are part of it?
Before delivering his statement in his national capacity, Harish made remarks on behalf of the G4 nations of Brazil, Germany, Japan and India, in which the grouping asserted that regional representation is an accepted practice that has stood the test of time in the UN.
The G4, in its statement, said, “Proposals to introduce new parameters, such as religious affiliation, run counter to established UN practice and add considerable complexity to an already difficult discussion.”
The G4 also highlighted that the current UN architecture belongs to a different era, which no longer exists, adding that the new geopolitical realities warrant a review of this architecture.
