India has told the United Nations Security Council that the most urgent need of the hour is to make it more representative of developing countries to reflect current geopolitical realities.

At a UNSC briefing on “Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Promote Common Security Through Dialogue and Cooperation”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj noted.

“The most urgent thing therefore for us to do is to make the Security Council more representative of developing countries, so as to reflect current geopolitical realities.”

Making a case in point, she questioned, “How do we explain away the fact that the African continent does not have a permanent representation in the Security Council, despite a majority of issues being dealt with by the Council belonging to that region? How can we aspire for common security in Africa when the body denies them representation on a permanent basis.”

The Indian envoy stressed that “a truly representative Security Council is the most pressing need of the hour,” and cautioned “else, there is a real danger of the United Nations being superseded by other plurilateral and multilateral groupings which are more representative, more transparent and more democratic and, therefore, more effective.”

Speaking at the briefing she highlighted that as a founding member of the UN, India has consistently displayed its commitment to upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

“We have been the leading advocate of the concerns and aspirations of developing countries and the creation of a more equitable international economic and political order.”