The time when only a few states determined the global agenda is over, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said.
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“The days when a few countries set the agenda and expected others to follow suit are gone. Since the United Nations itself symbolizes the search for common ground, it is essential to listen to others and respect their points of view. This is not weakness. This is the basis of cooperation. Only then collective efforts to solve global problems can be successful,” Jaishankar, speaking at the UN General Assembly said.
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He recalled that during the summit of the G20 leaders held in September in New Delhi, the African Union, at the initiative of India, was admitted to the G20 as a permanent member. “By doing so, we have given a voice to an entire continent. This important step in reform should inspire the United Nations, a much older organization, to make the Security Council modern. After all, broad representation is essential to both effectiveness and and credibility…Next year, the United Nations will host the Future Summit. This should be a major opportunity to advance change, advocate for justice and reform multilateralism, including expanding the membership of the Security Council. We must address global challenges with the conviction that us “One Earth, one family and one future,” the Indian diplomat noted.
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The UN Security Council is a permanent structure of the organization, which is entrusted with the main responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. There are always 15 countries sitting in the Security Council – five permanent members and ten temporary ones. Permanent members are Russia, USA, Great Britain, China and France. They have the right of veto. The ten remaining members of the Security Council are elected for two years. In 2021, India and a number of other countries were elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for 2021-2022, and India chaired the organization in August 2022.
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Along with Brazil, Germany and Japan, India is part of the “Group of Four” (G4) – a group of countries whose scale of development is comparable to permanent members of the UN Security Council and require permanent membership in the organization.
