UNSC stuck in 1945, neighbors' fear blocking global security council's expansion, says India
United Nations Security Council (UNSC), emphasising the Council’s outdated structure, which no longer reflects modern global realities. Speaking at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, stated, «The Security Council structure, as it stands today, is a reflection of 1945. It does not reflect today's realities.»
Harish, delivering a keynote address titled Responding to Key Global Challenges: The India Way, underscored that the current framework hinders the UNSC’s ability to tackle pressing issues effectively.
The Complexity of UNSC Reform
The ambassador highlighted the resistance to change among permanent members and nations opposing potential rivals’ inclusion. «Those who are already permanent members do not wish to vacate it. Those who are already permanent members do not wish to give up the veto. Those who feel that their neighbours may have a chance to become a member would oppose expansion in the permanent category at all costs,» Harish observed.
Describing the reform process as «very difficult» and «complex,» he added, «You have a lot of status quo supporters, and you need to build consensus for this. It's a difficult process which is still ongoing.»
India, part of the G4 nations alongside Brazil, Germany, and Japan, has long advocated for expanded permanent membership. Harish lamented the slow progress over the past 15 to 16 years, stating, «Yes, we are unsatisfied with the pace of progress in the last
