India has cautioned that efforts to reform the United Nations Security Council could fail if the expansion is limited to only non-permanent category of membership. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, made these remarks while addressing the Inter-Governmental Negotiations meeting on Security Council reforms. Mr. Parvathaneni said, UNSC reform would be grossly inadequate, bordering on failure, if expansion is limited only to the non-permanent category, as it would fundamentally not change the decision-making power structure of the permanent five members.
Mr. Parvathaneni stressed that by advocating expansion of the permanent category, India’s consistent effort has been to bring in a greater sense of balance and equity in the Security Council and change the decision-making parameters of the five veto-wielding permanent members – China, France, Russia, UK and the US. India also underscored the need for text-based negotiations to ensure that discussions are more purposeful and outcome-oriented.
