India has consistently championed a “cooperative, inclusive, and consultative approach” to international relations, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ruchira Kamboj said at the United Nations General Assembly. In the UNGA Plenary on the Question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Security Council, Kamboj said, “India has consistently championed a cooperative, inclusive, and consultative approach to international relations. We firmly believe that the calls for reformed multilateralism, with Security Council reforms at its core, is supported by the overwhelming majority of the membership.”
“If we fail to address this longstanding cause in the UN’s roadmap during its Summit of the Future, it would signify our failure to fulfil a pivotal commitment to ourselves and the Organization’s roadmap,” she added. She highlighted that Global South has no voice at the high table. She stressed that further delay in the UN Security Council reform will exacerbate its representational deficit.
Kamboj said, “As a member of the Global South, we share its collective angst that on issues of core concern to the South, we have no voice at the high table. 164 Member States have joined in calling for a concrete text to serve as the foundation for negotiations, as laid out in document A/72/510/Rev. 1, conveyed in the letter from the Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the Secretary-General dated 2 October 2017.” “This resounding support emphasizes that any further delay in Security Council reform exacerbates its representational deficit. Representation, which stands as the unassailable prerequisite for both legitimacy and effectiveness,” she added.
Ruchira Kamboj spoke about the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent member in the G20 under India’s Presidency. She called a “more equitable Council” essential in an interconnected world and added that it should be clearly reflected in the ‘2024 Pact for the Future’ document, particularly in the section on “Transforming Global Governance”.
She said, “Under India’s presidency of the G20, a significant stride was made by securing Africa a permanent seat at the table, proving that with political determination, change is indeed achievable.
This example serves as a compelling call to action: we must resolutely align the Council with its charter mandate to represent the interests of all member states. Such alignment is crucial for adeptly navigating the intricate global challenges and conflicts we face today.”
Kamboj stressed that several aspects of the United Nations system urgently require reform and added that this sentiment was unanimously echoed by world leaders at the 2005 World Summit.
She noted that the reform of the UN Security Council was identified as a critical and immediate priority. She said that they have seen no result so far despite the collective call of the world. “One, the nature of the process of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations themselves. Fifteen years since their inception, our dialogue remains largely confined to exchanging statements, speaking at, rather than with each other. No negotiating text. No time frame. And no defined end goal. We turn up each, year make statements and go back to the drawing board.”
“Then, there is the argument pushed by the naysayers of consensus. That even before we begin text-based negotiations we must all agree on everything. Surely, we cannot have a more extreme case of putting the cart before the horse,” she added. India’s envoy to the UN stated that more than 35 UN member states, the L69 in a joint ministerial statement had raised concerns over the IGN’s lack of openness and transparency. She said that these nations had stressed the urgency of improved working methods and a clear set of procedural rules to guide the process.
