French President Emmanuel Macron has strongly supported India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) along with Germany, Japan, Brazil and two African countries.
“Germany, Japan, India and Brazil should be permanent members, along with two countries that Africa nominates to represent it. Newly elected members should also be included,” Mr Macron said while addressing the general debate at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Thursday (India time).
The French President stressed the need for reforms within the United Nations to make it more effective and representative, especially in light of the challenges posed by the current composition of the Security Council.
“The United Nations should not be abolished, but rather reformed to reflect today’s realities,” he said.
He said the current Security Council, often blocked by conflicting interests, needs to evolve.
“Is there a better system? I think not. So let us make the United Nations more effective, first of all perhaps by making them more representative. That is why France, and I repeat here, is in favour of enlarging the Security Council,” Mr Macron said.
The French President said he hoped “this reform would also make it possible to change modus operandi, limit the right of veto in cases of mass crime and focus on operational decisions essential to maintaining international peace and security. We must show the courage and audacity to do this and we must pursue it together with the current permanent members.”
Earlier, Chilean President Gabriel Boric Font had also advocated India’s inclusion and proposed a timeline for reform of the UN Security Council by the 80th anniversary of the UN to bring it in line with modern geopolitical realities.
The call for India’s permanent membership has also been reiterated by other global leaders, including US President Joe Biden, who reiterated Washington’s full support for India’s bid during his recent bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Russia has also been supporting India’s aspiration for permanent membership and the country’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stressed the need for greater representation of developing countries in the Council during the annual UN event.
The growing consensus among world leaders highlights the urgent need to reform the United Nations Security Council to reflect the contemporary global order and ensure more inclusive and effective international governance.
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