The United States has voiced its backing for reforms within United Nations institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as per US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Responding to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent statement highlighting India’s absence of a permanent seat at the UNSC, Vedant Patel reiterated the US stance, stating, “The President and the Secretary have both previously expressed support for UN institution reforms, including the Security Council, to ensure it reflects the realities of the 21st-century world we live in.“
Elon Musk’s remarks in January, labeling India’s exclusion from a permanent UNSC seat as ‘absurd,‘ emphasized the reluctance of powerful nations to relinquish their influence. Musk advocated for a revision of UN bodies to address such discrepancies, suggesting that nations with substantial power resist reforms that might diminish their authority.
India has long campaigned for a permanent seat on the Security Council to better represent the interests of the developing world. The nation’s pursuit of this goal has garnered increasing support from the international community over time.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is presently composed of 15 member states, with five permanent members wielding veto power and ten non-permanent members serving two-year terms.
The five permanent members of the UNSC comprise China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States, while the non-permanent members are elected by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) for two-year terms.
In its election manifesto titled ‘Sankalp Patra,‘ the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pledged to actively pursue permanent membership for India in the United Nations Security Council, aiming to enhance the country’s role in global decision-making.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in January, emphasized the growing global support for India’s permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council. He highlighted the necessity of seizing opportunities, stating, “The world does not give things easily and generously; sometimes you have to take them,” during a townhall meeting in Maharashtra’s Nagpur.
India’s aspiration for a permanent seat at the UNSC continues to gather momentum, with diplomatic efforts and international backing reinforcing its position on the global stage.
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