India in collaboration with Brazil, Japan and Germany (together known as the G-4) has proposed expansion of the membership of the United Nations Security Council from 15 to 25 members with the addition of six permanent and four non-permanent members. This was stated by the Minister of State of External Affairs Preneet Kaur in Lok Sabha.
India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has in a statement at a meeting of the UN General Assembly plenary on the intergovernmental negotiations on the question of equitable representation on and increase in the membership of the Security Council and other matters related to the Council on 2 March 2011, clearly stated India’s views regarding expansion of the Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories.
There are a range of proposals suggesting an increase in the numbers of permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council. During the course of intergovernmental negotiations, the proposals for expansion of the Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories have commanded the most support among UN member states.
The Government has been actively seeking support from all UN member states for India’s candidature for permanent membership in an expanded Security Council. As a result of these efforts, there has been a steady accretion of support for India’s candidature.
Both India and the US are actively involved in the on-going negotiations on Security Council reform in the UN and seek an expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the Council. US President Barack Obama in a speech to the Members of both Houses of the Indian Parliament on 8 November 2010 said that he “looked forward to a reformed United Nations Security Council that includes India as a permanent member”.
