India’s approach to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform centres on democratising global governance to mirror contemporary geopolitical realities rather than the outdated power structure of 1945. As a primary voice for the Global South, India advocates for a comprehensive restructuring of the Council to restore its institutional legitimacy and effectiveness in managing international peace and security.
What are the core issues that matter and have been raised by India? An obvious first are the categories of membership. India demands the expansion of, both, permanent and non-permanent seats. It strongly opposes proposals that only add non-permanent members, arguing that this fails to address the structural dominance of the current permanent five (P5). Then comes the veto power. India views the veto as an instrument often misused for narrow political expediency. India’s principled stance—aligned with the African Union—is that as long as the veto exists, it must be extended to all new permanent members to prevent the creation of “second-class” permanent seats. It also calls out “de facto vetos”, where unwritten consensus rules allow single nations to block proposals anonymously.
There is also the issue of equitable regional representation. The current UNSC structure severely underrepresents developing regions. India campaigns for permanent representation for unrepresented or underrepresented regions, specifically supporting dedicated permanent seats for Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
In the spotlight on an everyday basis are the working methods and transparency. India criticises the lack of formal meeting records and the opaque functioning of the Council, pushing for modernised working methods and a stronger relationship between the UNSC and the UN General Assembly. Process Reform such as text-based negotiations is also being sought. India demands a shift away from endless oral discussions within Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN). It advocates for early commencement of text-based negotiations with defined timelines and milestones to ensure irreversible progress. India’s strategy and credentials in this context are worth examining. It drives its reform agenda through critical multilateral coalitions, notably the G4 alliance (with Brazil, Germany, and Japan) and the L-69 grouping of developing nations. Most importantly, India’s claim to a permanent seat rests on robust credentials: it is the world’s most populous nation, the largest democracy, a major global economy, and historically one of the largest troop contributors to UN Peacekeeping missions. While four of the P5 nations (US, UK, France, Russia) explicitly support India’s bid, resistance to altering the status quo—primarily from China and the “Coffee Club” opposition—remains the central roadblock. Unless the above-mentioned reforms are undertaken, marginalisation of the UNSC and the UN, itself, will only continue.
