India calls for granting veto power to all permanent members of the UN Security Council
India is calling for veto power to be granted to all permanent members of the UN Security Council following its reform and expansion.
This was stated by the republic's permanent representative to the world organization, Parvathaneni Harish.
According to his remarks, cited by the Hindustan Times newspaper, "equity demands that all permanent members have equal rights and carry out equal responsibilities." "The emergence of a new category of permanent members — regardless of whether they are endowed with veto power or not — will only further complicate an already difficult discussion," the diplomat noted.
"India has always held the position that the veto is a prerogative currently held by only five permanent members of the UN Security Council. It is a responsibility that should be approached with great caution, especially on matters concerning the maintenance of international peace and security. This right must not serve as an instrument of narrow political expediency," Harish emphasized.
"The question of limiting the veto cannot be considered in isolation from other aspects: categories of membership, regional representation, size and working methods. We need to move forward on all five tracks simultaneously. India once again calls for a comprehensive approach to reforming the Security Council," he said.
The UN Security Council includes 15 countries, of which 5 (Russia, the United Kingdom, China, the United States and France) are permanent members, and 10 are non-permanent, elected to it for two years. Earlier, the secretary-general of the world organization, António Guterres, stated that the majority of UN member states recognize the need for Security Council reform. In turn, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that this body should be expanded not at the expense of Western states, but through representatives of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
India is fighting for the right to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, and also advocates permanent representation for Africa in the organization.
Source: TASS
