India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Parvathaneni Harish, emphasized the urgent need for UN Security Council reform on Monday, highlighting that despite decades of discussions, there have been no significant changes since 1965.
PR @AmbHarishP delivered 🇮🇳’s statement at the Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly on ‘Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council’ today. pic.twitter.com/1SDKiTSVtr
— India at UN, NY (@IndiaUNNewYork) November 11, 2024
Speaking at the Plenary Meeting of the General Assembly in New York, Harish remarked, “As we begin this year’s deliberations, we note that the reform of the UN Security Council was once again identified as a critical and immediate priority at the summit of the future discussions by our leaders. However, in spite of several decades of collective reiteration of this sentiment, it is disheartening that we have had no results to show in this regard since 1965 when the Council was last expanded in the non-permanent category alone.”
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Harish identified three main factors impeding progress: the ineffective intergovernmental negotiation process, the insistence on consensus by certain countries, and the lack of representation for the Global South.
“First, the nature of the process of the intergovernmental negotiations itself. Sixteen years since its inception, the IGN remains largely confined to exchanging statements, speaking at rather than with each other. No negotiating text, no time frame and no defined end goal. Second, there is the argument pushed by a select few countries who favour the status quo of consensus. They argue that even before we begin text-based negotiations, we must all agree on everything. Surely we cannot have a more extreme case of putting the cart before the horse. Third, as a member of the Global South, we believe that representation stands as the unassailable prerequisite for both the legitimacy and effectiveness of not just the Council, but the United Nations as a whole. Younger multilateral frameworks have been much more adaptive and nimbler on their feet,” Harish said.
He stressed India’s commitment to cooperative and inclusive international relations, underscoring that reform is vital for the UN’s legitimacy and credibility. Drawing on the example of the G20, Harish pointed out how India’s presidency last year saw the African Union welcomed as a member, illustrating that political will can lead to change.
“An example is the G20, which under India’s presidency last year, welcomed the African Union as its member. This is proof that with political will, change is indeed possible. The UN turns 80 next year. Tasked with the responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council has too often found itself paralyzed by the geopolitical realities of today, which have evolved far beyond the realm of that of 1945,” he added.
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As the UN approaches its 80th anniversary, Harish called for member states to work constructively towards tangible outcomes on Security Council reforms, in line with the majority sentiment. He stressed that convergences should not be mistaken for consensus and should not be used to delay substantial change.
“The world of today is vastly different from the world of 1945. We cannot go on with the relics of the past for the demands of the future. India has consistently championed a cooperative, inclusive, and consultative approach to international relations. We firmly believe that the calls for reform multilateralism, with Security Council reforms at its core, is supported by the overwhelming majority of the membership,” he said.
Harish also urged caution regarding the progress of intergovernmental negotiations (IGN), stressing two key points: “While we seek real, tangible progress in the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN), including with regard to development of a new model of reform of the Security Council, as a precursor to text-based negotiations, we urge caution on two counts. First, the search for a minimum threshold of input from member states should not lead to indeterminate period of waiting for them to present their model. Second, the development of a consolidated model based on convergences should not lead to a race to the bottom to trace the lowest common denominator. Convergences are not consensus. There is every danger that the search for such a lowest common denominator might be used as a smokescreen to attempt a mere tinkering of the existing framework of the UN Security Council and terming it as a major reform. This would indefinitely postpone significant elements such as the expansion in the permanent category and addressing the underrepresentation of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to a very distant future,” he explained.
In conclusion, Harish expressed hope that member states would work collaboratively towards a meaningful outcome on Security Council reforms. “India is hopeful that the member states will work constructively to ensure a concrete outcome on UN Security Council reforms. An outcome that respects the sentiments of the major through the time-tested manner of negotiations. The legitimacy and credibility of the UN must be preserved by updating it. That indeed should be our resolution for the UN’s 80th anniversary,” he concluded.
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