India's election as a non-permanent member at United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is a recognition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's global role and his strong engagement across countries, TS Tirumurti, Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations said on Wednesday.
"Our election is a recognition of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's global role. His strong engagement across countries and across regions has clearly found resonance," TS Tirumurti said while speaking to .
With a comfortable victory of 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly, India on Wednesday was elected unopposed as a non-permanent member of the 15 member UNSC for the 2021-22 term.
"We will be joining UN Security Council on 1 Jan, 2021. It'll be a 2-year tenure," he added.
The UN General Assembly held elections for the President of the 75th session of the Assembly, five non-permanent members of the Security Council and members of the Economic and Social Council on Wednesday (June 17, 2020), amid special voting arrangements in place at the UN Headquarters in strict adherence to the COVID-19 protocols.
Ambassador Tirumurti expressed gratitude to the member states of the United Nations for the ''ringing endorsement'. He said Indian has a team in place which will 'shoulder these responsibilities' in the Permanent Mission of India.
Talking on the two-third majority, he added, "India was already endorsed as a candidate on the Asia Pacific group. While we were assured of a seat in the United Nations Security Council, we did not take our campaign lightly. In fact, we made every effort in the last several months leading up to the elections and made a pitch for our candidature at all levels led by the external affairs minister, team MEA and all our missions abroad and the permanent mission in New York."
On the issue India's priorities at the UNSC, he said "Combating terrorism is obviously going to be a very important priority for us. Keeping in mind that we have been victims of decades of cross-border terrorism.
"The reform at the Security Council will obviously be a very important focus of our agenda. And we will seek to bring about greater representation. Later, inclusivity and also greater credibility to the UN Security Council, so that it can reflect contemporary realities," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )