The US has backed India’s efforts to secure a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. After the Quad Leaders’ Summit in the US, the leaders of the Quad (US, India, Japan, and Australia) emphasised the need for major reforms in the UN. This discussion followed talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden during the summit in Wilmington, Delaware.
A statement from the White House said, “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 been seeking a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for several years, pointing to its contributions to peacekeeping, increasing global influence, and status as the world’s largest democracy.
In a joint statement after the Quad summit, the leaders emphasized the need to reform the UN Security Council to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, and democratic.
The statement said, “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.”
In September last year, Biden supported India’s push for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council during a meeting with Prime Minister Modi at the G20 Summit in Delhi. After the talks between PM Modi and Biden, a joint statement said that Biden reiterated his support for a reformed UN Security Council with India as a permanent member. He also welcomed India’s candidacy for a non-permanent seat on the UNSC in 2028-29.
Besides the Quad countries, many others have supported India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Right now, the Security Council has five permanent members: the US, the UK, France, Russia, and China. These countries have significant power, including the ability to veto resolutions.
Non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms and help set the council’s agenda, but they do not have the veto power that permanent members have. India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council eight times, with the most recent being the 2021-22 term. In May, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India was exerting pressure to get a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.
