Washington DC: The United States has expressed its support for reforms to United Nations institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), according to US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel.
During a press briefing on Wednesday, Patel addressed questions about Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s recent statement regarding India’s lack of a permanent seat at the UNSC. Patel stated, “The President has spoken about this before in his remarks to the UN General Assembly, and the Secretary has alluded to this as well. We certainly support reforms to the UN institution, including the Security Council, to make it reflective of the 21st-century world that we live in. I don’t have any specifics to offer on what those steps are, but certainly, we recognize that there is a need for reform, but I will leave it at that for now.”
In January, Elon Musk criticized India’s absence of a permanent UNSC seat as ‘absurd,’ emphasizing that powerful nations are hesitant to relinquish their authority.
Musk’s comments sparked further discussion on the issue, with many echoing his sentiments. On social media platform X, Musk wrote, “At some point, there needs to be a revision of the UN bodies. Problem is that those with excess power don’t want to give it up. India not having a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite being the most populous country on Earth, is absurd. Africa collectively should also have a permanent seat imo.”
India has long sought a permanent seat on the UNSC to better represent the interests of the developing world. The nation’s pursuit of this goal has garnered support from the international community.
The UNSC comprises 15 member states, including five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in its election manifesto titled ‘Sankalp Patra,’ pledged to pursue permanent membership for India in the UNSC. The BJP stated, “We are committed to seeking permanent membership in the UN Security Council to elevate Bharat’s position in global decision-making.”
In January, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized the growing global support for India’s permanent membership at the UNSC, underscoring the need for proactive action to secure such a position. He made these remarks during a ‘Manthan’: Townhall meeting in Maharashtra’s Nagpur.
