The CEO of Tesla and the richest person in the world, Elon Musk, has supported India, stating that it is ridiculous that despite having the largest population on the planet, India does not have a permanent seat.
The council, which has five permanent members, hasn’t been increased since 1965, and China has opposed India’s application to join the international high table.
China is the lone member opposed to India’s application for a permanent seat in the UNSC, despite the US, France, Russia, and the UK supporting it. Ten non-permanent members, chosen for two-year periods by the UN General Assembly, make up the UNSC in addition to the five permanent members.
WHAT IS THE UNSC?
The principal goal of the United Nations Security Council, which was founded on January 17, 1946, was to uphold world peace and security in the wake of World War II.
The United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) triumphed over Germany, Italy, and Japan in the Second World War. The United Kingdom influenced the post-war political order alongside them.
Franklin Roosevelt, the US president at the time, supported the Republic of China’s membership in the alliance, and the United Kingdom desired France’s inclusion as well, considering France to be a defense against future German aggression.
This is how the “permanent five,” or P5, nations were chosen by the UNSC.
HOW IS UNSC MEMBERSHIP DECIDED?
India has been advocating for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council for a number of years, claiming that the current body’s representation is inadequate.
A nation must have the support of all five P5 members as well as two-thirds of the UN General Assembly in order to be admitted as a “permanent” member of the UNSC. The second criteria is difficult to meet, whereas the first is really simple.
This is because each of the five permanent members has the ability to veto. Therefore, even if the other four nations agree on a plan, it will not be passed if one of them chooses against it.
Prior to all of this, though, the 1945 UN Charter must be revised to include the addition of more permanent UNSC seats.
China has acted as a barrier for India to join the UNSC permanently.
NON-PERMANENT MEMBERS
The UNSC has ten non-permanent members in addition to its five permanent members: two each from Latin America and Western Europe, five from Africa and Asia, and one from Eastern Europe.
A two-thirds majority is required to elect the non-permanent members of the Security Council. A country is elected based on two primary criteria.
One is an effort to support the preservation of world peace and security. Contributions of money or soldiers to international peacekeeping missions serve as a benchmark for this. Prior to selecting a non-permanent member, leadership in issues of regional security is also taken into consideration. “Equitable geographical distribution” is another need.
Every month, the Security Council’s presidency is alternated.
INDIA AT UNSC
India has been elected to the esteemed United Nations organization on eight separate occasions as a non-permanent member: in 1950, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1991, 2011, and 2020.
Jawaharlal Nehru, the previous prime minister, raised the idea of India becoming a permanent member of the UNSC during his 1949 visit to the US.
In exchange for India’s assistance against the Soviet Union, the US had promised to support India’s application for a permanent seat in the UN.
Nehru, it is said, turned down the offer and supported China’s admission to the UNSC.
In 1955, a second offer arrived via the Soviet Union. Subsequently, Premier Nikolai Bulganin allegedly proposed to India that it become the sixth permanent member of the UN Security Council. But Nehru turned down the offer as well, according to “Selected Works of Jawaharlal Nehru.”
India has consistently emphasized UNSC reforms, noting the realities of the modern world and its rising geopolitical influence. This was demonstrated at the most recent G20 Summit, when India successfully navigated the diplomatic thorn of achieving an agreement on the Russia-Ukraine dispute.
