WASHINGTON, Sept 24: Asserting that India has an “irreplaceable economic and political role” at the global stage, an Indian-American body has called for an immediate reform of the UNSC to make the country its permanent member.
The American India Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) said in a statement: “It is about time that India is included as one of the permanent members.”
“First in the debates over the Councils reform, India represents developing countries’ perspective, and it is supported by wide majority of them and several African countries,” said Jagdish Sewhani of the AIPAC.
“Second by any objective criteria, such as territorial size, GDP, economic potential, civilisation legacy, cultural diversity, political system, population and past and ongoing contributions to the activities of the UN, India is eminently qualified for permanent membership,” he said.
Sewhani said “it is really illogical that country like India who have irreplaceable economic and political role is still not permanent member of (the) Security Council”.
He said India was one of the 51 members of UN at the time of its formation in 1945 and therefore has long history of engagement with it.
Membership of the UN Security Council and its working methods do not reflect contemporary realities, Sewhani said.
“Though geopolitics has changed drastically since then, the Security Council has not substantially evolved since 1945 when wartime victors designed a Charter and assigned themselves with permanent seats and vetoes in the Council,” he argued.
Sewhani said as next year marks the 70th anniversary Summit of the UN, it is important to make the organisation “fit for purpose”.
He said the UNSC has faced “international pressure for substantial reforms since 1991”, but still Asia is under-represented while Europe is over-represented.
“It (the UNSC) also lacks representation from developing countries, which make more than half the world,” Sewhani said. (PTI)
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