Vince Henderson, the foreign minister of Dominica, argued forcefully for India to be admitted as a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC), claiming that India has become a “very important global player” and merits consideration for full membership in the UN organization.
Speaking at the ‘India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development’ event in New York City on Saturday, the Dominican Foreign Minister remarked, “I know that India is a country that’s historically been extremely polite, and you won’t express or ask for certain things. But now I’ll say that we think India is becoming a very significant role on the world stage and that India deserves to have a permanent place on the UN Security Council.
In addition to being the world’s most populous nation, he claimed, India also deserves to be a permanent member of the UNSC since it has consistently exercised remarkable restraint in the use of its own authority.
“We believe that this is a matter that should be supported. We hope that India in turn, will continue to be a responsible member of the United Nations, but more so to be a good friend to small island developing states,” Henderson said.
The Dominican Republic has profited greatly from its friendship and cooperation with India, the Dominican Minister of Foreign Affairs continued. “Our efforts to enhance our human resources have received a ton of support throughout the years. Many Dominicans have attended universities all around India to further their education. India has also been able to help us progress technically in a number of sectors related to healthcare, education, and other development professions. We want to thank you once more,” he stated.
He commented on India’s vaccine diplomacy during the Covid-19 pandemic, claiming that New Delhi was able to respond to his nation’s plea for assistance and give Dominica vaccines, which Dominica then distributed to other member states in the Caribbean and the rest of the world.
