New UNSC permanent members without veto would be 'second-class': India

New UNSC permanent members without veto would be 'second-class': India left Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni. File ANI ANI ANI New York [U.S.], Oct 16 (ANI): Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, speaks during the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) quarterly open debate on 'The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question' at the UN Headquarters, in New York on Thursday.

(Parvathaneni Harish/X / ANI Video Grab) India said the veto must be held by all permanent members of a reformed Council as long as the provision exists, stressing that fairness and justice demand equal rights and responsibilities for all permanent members United Nations India has asserted that any reform of the UN Security Council that creates a new category of permanent members without veto powers would effectively relegate them to “second-class” status, leaving the existing five permanent powers in control of the decision-making process.

Should permanent membership and veto powers of the UNSC be abolished? storyline 1 China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S. are the five permanent members of the 15-member Security Council and enjoy veto powers. The Council also has 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. Russia backs India’s candidature for UNSC permanent seat Russia backs India’s candidature for UNSC permanent seat “We are in favour of broadening the representation of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

We support Brazil's and India's candidatures for a permanent seat, and at the same time, I wish to emphasise this: we must satisfy the interests of the African continent,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Russia backs India’s candidature for UNSC permanent seat storyline 1 India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, on Monday (October 26, 2026) said the veto must be held by all permanent members of a reformed Council as long as the provision exists, stressing that fairness and justice demand equal rights and responsibilities for all permanent members.

"India's position on the veto is principled and well known... We reiterate that as long as the veto exists, it must be held by all permanent members of a reformed Council," he said. Addressing the Inter-Governmental (IGN) plenary on 'Cluster Debate on the Question of the Veto' in the UN General Assembly, Parvathaneni said a reform that expands the Security Council by "creating another category of long-term members without the veto effectively makes them 'second-class' members and would not change the decision-making dynamic of the P5".

‘Further complication’ Creating a new category of permanent members, with or without veto powers, would further complicate an already difficult discussion and "entrench the very inequity we are seeking to correct", he said. A contested UNSC seat poses a test for India A contested UNSC seat poses a test for India It is a battle that can be avoided — the path to next year’s UNSC election will not be a cakewalk, and India must consider its options A contested UNSC seat poses a test for India opinion 1 "Periodic elections and the concept of permanency are fundamentally contradictory,” the diplomat said.

“History has a lesson for us,” he said, recalling that the only expansion of the Security Council, in 1965, increased the number of non-permanent members from six to 10 while retaining five permanent members. The ratio of permanent to elected members shifted from 5:6 to 5:10, further strengthening the relative power of the P5, Mr. Parvathaneni said. Pushing for reform India has consistently called for expanding both the permanent and non-permanent categories of membership, warning that reform efforts would border on "failure" if they focused solely on increasing the number of non-permanent members.

New Delhi has been at the forefront of years-long efforts to achieve reform of the Security Council, saying the body, founded in 1945, is not fit for purpose in the 21st century and does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities. India has consistently underscored that it rightly deserves a permanent seat at the horse-shoe table. New Delhi is also seeking a non-permanent seat for the 2028-29 term.

Elections for the term are scheduled for June next year, when India and Tajikistan will contest the sole seat allocated to the Asia-Pacific Group. India last served on the Council in 2021-22, its eighth term, having previously held seats in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12. Exercise veto ‘with great restraint’ Mr. Parvathaneni further stressed that the veto, currently a prerogative of the five permanent members, must be exercised with "great restraint", particularly on matters concerning international peace and security.

"It should not be an instrument of narrow political expediency,” he said. Mr. Parvathaneni said the question of limiting the veto could not be considered in isolation from other aspects of Security Council reform, including membership categories, regional representation, the Council's size and its working methods. “India reiterates its call for a comprehensive approach towards Security Council reforms.

The starting point is early commencement of text-based negotiations, with clearly defined timelines and milestones," he said. Addressing the Council's working methods, the envoy said the veto was not limited to votes formally cast by permanent members. An "effective or de facto veto" could also be exercised by any Council member over presidential statements, press statements and decisions of sanctions committees, where the "unwritten rule" of consensus allows a single member to block a proposal, often without explanation, Mr.

Parvathaneni said. He was referring to the working of the UNSC sanctions committees that designate and de-list terror outfits and individuals. On use of consensus The diplomat also criticised the…