India Likely To Be A Contender If UN Security Council Expands, Says IGN Chair

India will ‘surely’ be a contender for a seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC), if the decision to expand the powerful body is finalised, said Ambassador Tareq AlBanai, Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on UNSC reforms.

Addressing the media at the UN headquarters, AlBanai emphasised that any restructured Council must be representative of today’s global realities.

“India is clearly a key player on the world stage,” said AlBanai. “If the Council expands to between 21 and 27 members, India will undoubtedly be among the contenders, though final decisions will lie with the entire 193-member UN General Assembly.”

IGN Chairs Discuss Reforms With Indian Leaders

AlBanai, who also serves as Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the UN, recalled that he and co-chair Ambassador Alexander Marschik of Austria visited India last year and engaged in high-level discussions on UNSC reform.

While discussing the progress of IGN during the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, AlBanai acknowledged the complexity of the reform process but described it as steadily moving forward.

“We are taking meaningful steps toward reform,” he noted.

A Vision For The Next Century

Highlighting the Council’s unchanged structure for over 80 years, except for an increase in elected members in 1965, AlBanai stressed the importance of crafting a durable and inclusive model.

“Whatever shape the reformed Council takes, it must be built to last for the next century and be anchored in inclusivity, transparency, democracy, and accountability.”

On Text-Based Negotiations: A Shared Goal

Responding to a question on India’s push for text-based negotiations, AlBanai confirmed that this remains a shared objective.

“The least complicated part is drafting the text. The real challenge lies in securing consensus on what that text should contain,” he said.

He acknowledged progress in areas such as the five key clusters but admitted that some contentious issues remain.

The five clusters include:

• Categories of membership
• Question of the veto
• Regional representation
• Size of the enlarged Council and working methods
• Relationship between the Council and the General Assembly

Member States Push For Momentum

AlBanai expressed optimism over the increased momentum shown by Member States in the current session.

“The spirit of reform requires both courage and creativity. Active engagement from all delegations is essential.”

Earlier this week, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, spoke on behalf of the G4 nations, India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan, during an IGN meeting.

He argued that the current UNSC structure is outdated and no longer reflects geopolitical realities.

India And G4 Propose Expansion To 25–26 Members

Harish advocated for expanding the Security Council from 15 to 25 or 26 members, suggesting 11 permanent seats and 14–15 non-permanent ones.

He reiterated the G4’s call for the IGN Chair to initiate text-based negotiations before the end of the current session.

India’s Commitment Recognised

AlBanai and Marschik met with India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in February.

After the meeting, Kuwait’s Permanent Mission posted on X (formerly Twitter) that both sides reviewed the reform process and discussed ways to strengthen it.

The Mission praised India’s consistent support for the reforms.

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