Washington: The United States has expressed its support for India’s pursuit of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, a position that has garnered backing from other Quad leaders—Japan and Australia—in their joint statement following the Quad Leaders’ Summit in the US.
This endorsement emerged after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden held bilateral discussions during the Quad summit in Wilmington, Delaware. A statement from the White House noted, “President (Joe) Biden shared with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi that the US supports initiatives to reform global institutions to reflect India’s important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council.”
India has sought a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for several years, citing its substantial contributions to peacekeeping missions, its growing global influence, and its status as the world’s largest democracy.
In the joint statement released after the Quad summit, the leaders emphasized the urgent need to reform the UN Security Council to enhance its representation, inclusivity, transparency, and democratic processes. “We will reform the UN Security Council, recognising the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UN Security Council. This expansion of permanent seats should include representation for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in a reformed Security Council,” the statement asserted.
Last September, during a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Delhi, Biden reiterated his support for India’s bid to the UN Security Council. The joint statement that followed their talks reaffirmed the US commitment to a reformed Security Council that includes India as a permanent member, while also welcoming India’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for the 2028-29 term.
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In addition to the Quad nations, numerous other countries have voiced their support for India’s application for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
Currently, the UN Security Council consists of five permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. These nations possess significant power, including the ability to veto resolutions. Non-permanent members, elected for two-year terms, contribute to the council’s agenda but do not hold the veto power afforded to their permanent counterparts.
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India has served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council eight times, with its most recent term occurring during 2021-22.
In May, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized that India is actively pressing for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
