India Calls for Comprehensive Reform of UN Security Council at General Assembly

India criticized the current state of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) annual report debate, calling it a “ritual without much substance” during a UN General Assembly (UNGA) session. Pratik Mathur, Minister at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, emphasized that the report should inform, highlight, and analyze measures taken to maintain international peace and security. He also advocated for a comprehensive reform of the UNSC to expand both permanent and non-permanent membership.

“We welcome the opportunity to participate in the debate on the Report of the Security Council. We thank the members of the Security Council and the Secretariat for producing the annual report of the Security Council,” Mathur stated. He also congratulated the newly elected members of the Council for the 2025-2026 period, expressing a desire to work constructively with them.

Mathur highlighted that the UN Charter assigns significant importance to the report, as evidenced by the specific provision mandating it. He noted that the annual report should detail and analyze measures taken to maintain international peace and security. However, the debate has become perfunctory, with the reports being mere compilations of meetings and outcome documents. Last year, only six monthly reports were compiled, indicating a lack of interest among members.

Mathur also pointed out the inadequacy of information on UN peacekeeping operations within the report. He called for a timeline for completing the report, circulating it to wider General Assembly members, and holding the debate. “The annual report, in its truest form, is also meant to be an analysis on the UN peacekeeping operations… However, in reality, we find there is little information on how peacekeeping operations are run,” he said. Mathur stressed the need for a better partnership between the Security Council and Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs).

He reiterated the need for the UNSC to align with its Charter responsibility to represent the entire membership, which requires expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories. “We remain convinced that the only remedy is a comprehensive reform of the Security Council… This will enable the Council to manage effectively today’s conflicts around the globe as well as the increasingly complex and interconnected global challenges it faces today,” Mathur added.

Finally, Mathur called for the UNSC to prove its credibility and improve its performance, aligning with the United Nations’ focus on performance assessment. He urged that the views and comments of Member States be given serious consideration.