Following France’s lead, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has voiced his support for India’s pursuit of a permanent position on the UN Security Council (UNSC). Starmer made this declaration during the 79th UN General Assembly session in New York.
Starmer emphasized the need for reform in the Security Council, stating, “The Security Council must evolve to become more representative and action-oriented, rather than being hindered by political disagreements.”
He proposed expanding the Council to include permanent African representation, as well as Brazil, India, Japan, and Germany as permanent members. Starmer also suggested increasing the number of elected member seats.
India has long maintained that it deserves permanent membership in the 15-member council, arguing that the current structure, established in 1945, is outdated and fails to reflect the 21st century’s geopolitical realities.
French President Emmanuel Macron had previously endorsed India’s membership, advocating for UNSC expansion. Macron stated, “We have a Security Council that is at an impasse. We need to make the UN more effective and representative.”
The UNSC currently consists of five permanent members (Russia, UK, China, France, and the United States) and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms by the UN General Assembly.
India’s most recent tenure on the Council was as a non-permanent member from 2021-2022. There is increasing pressure to expand the number of permanent members to better represent today’s global dynamics.
