How long will 5 members override 188 nations: India on UNSC reform

India's Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, speaking at the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform on Friday, stressed that “equity” must be the cornerstone of global efforts to reform the 15-nation UN body.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (File Photo)

Underlining the need for comprehensive reform of the Security Council, India has questioned how much longer can the will of five permanent members of the powerful UN body continue to override the collective voice of the world organisation’s 188 member states.

India’s Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, speaking at the Inter-Governmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform on Friday, stressed that “equity” must be the cornerstone of global efforts to reform the 15-nation UN body.

“Equity demands that every nation, irrespective of its size or power, be afforded an equal opportunity…to shape global decision-making,” she said, adding that “Our question therefore is how much longer will the will of five members continue to override the collective voice of 188 member states?”.

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Kamboj’s comment was a reference to the five permanent members of the Council – China, France, Russia, the UK and the US – whose exclusive veto rights have the power to impact decision-making in the Security Council on matters of maintenance of international peace and security. The Council’s other 10 members are elected for two-year terms to the non-permanent category and they do not have veto powers.

Kamboj said expanding only in the non-permanent category of the Council will not solve the problem. “It will in fact will widen the difference between permanent and non-permanent members even more, thereby perpetuating inequities instead of removing…” she said. PTI

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