India in collaboration with other pro-reform countries has been consistently making efforts to build support among the UN Member States for expansion of the UN Security Council, in both permanent and non-permanent categories, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha on whether the Indian government has made serious efforts to acquire a permanent seat in the UNSC, Minister of State (MoS), MEA, V Muraleedharan said, "Government has accorded the highest priority to getting permanent membership for India in an expanded UN Security Council that reflects contemporary global realities. India in collaboration with other pro-reform countries has been consistently making efforts to build support among the UN Member States for expansion of the UNSC, in both permanent and non-permanent categories."
He further said that India being one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping forces (in cumulative terms) "strengthens our credentials for seeking permanent membership of the UNSC."
Speaking on the reasons for India not getting a permanent seat in the UNSC even after the consent for the same was expressed by many member countries, the Minister said that the question of India's permanent membership of the Security Council would be considered only after an agreement on the nature and extent of expansion of the Council is arrived at in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter, which requires approval by two-thirds of the membership of the United Nations.
"As per decision 62/557 of the General Assembly (on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council), beginning 2009, discussions on UNSC reforms have started to take place in the UN General Assembly, through the Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) process. The IGN is presently the principal platform for discussing various aspects of Security Council reform, including categories of membership of the Council, the question of the veto, regional representation, size of an enlarged Council, etc. There is a section of UN member states that supports expansion only in the non-permanent category and is opposed to an expansion of permanent membership," he said.
"The question of India's permanent membership of the Security Council would be considered only after an agreement on the nature and extent of expansion of the Council is arrived at in accordance with the provisions of the UN Charter, which requires approval by 2/3rd of the membership of the United Nations," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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