New York: Reinforcing the call for reform within the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to more effectively represent the interests of the developing world, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that the United States has consistently advocated for permanent seats in the council for India, Japan, and Germany.
Speaking at the ‘Summit of the Future’ during the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Blinken outlined the US proposal, which includes two permanent seats for Africa, one rotating seat for Small Island Developing States, and permanent representation for Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Reforming the UN Security Council to better represent the developing world and, more broadly, the world as it is today. The United States believes that this should include two permanent seats for Africa, one rotating seat for Small Island Developing States, and permanent representation for Latin America and the Caribbean. In addition to the permanent seats for countries, we’ve long endorsed Germany, Japan, and India,” he said.
“The United States supports starting negotiations on Council reforms immediately,” he added.
Blinken conveyed the US’s commitment to adapting the UN system to reflect the current geopolitical landscape, which has changed significantly since 1945. However, he firmly opposed any revisions that could undermine the core principles of the UN Charter.
“The United States is committed to adapting the UN system to reflect this world of today and tomorrow—not the one that existed in 1945—but we are and we will remain resolutely opposed to revisionism. We will not accept efforts to tear down, dilute, or fundamentally alter the core principle of the UN Charter,” Blinken further stated.
Notably, India has long sought a permanent seat in the Security Council to better represent the interests of the developing world. This quest has gained momentum with support from the international community.
The United Nations Security Council is composed of 15 member states, including five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The five permanent members are China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States. The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.
Earlier on the same day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address at the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the UN General Assembly, also called for reforms in global institutions, stating that such reforms are the “key to relevance”.
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He described the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent member in the G20 as an “important step” in this direction. PM Modi also expressed India’s willingness to share its experiences of success with the Global South, emphasizing that the success of humanity lies in “collective strength” rather than conflict.
“When we discuss the global future, we must accord the highest priority to a human-centric approach. While prioritizing sustainable development, we must also ensure human welfare, food, and health security. By lifting 250 million people out of poverty in India, we have demonstrated that sustainable development can be successful. We are ready to share our experiences of our success with the Global South. The success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not on the battlefield,” PM Modi said.
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Later, during a special briefing on the Prime Minister’s US visit, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri praised the UN Summit document for including a detailed paragraph on UNSC reforms, calling it a “very good beginning.”
“I would only point you in the direction of the fact that for the first time, a UN Summit document has a detailed paragraph on UN Security Council reform, so it may not have every single detail in every area that we would imagine or we would like there to be but I think it’s a good beginning and we look forward eventually to the beginning of text-based negotiations in a fixed time frame going forward. But this should be seen as the first step towards that objective and the fact that till now we haven’t really had discussions on the basis of text but an agreement at this level in the pact where it keeps open the possibilities of a reform of the UN system is a gain from any perspective,” he stated.
