Expanding permanent category with veto critical to real reform of UNSC: India | India News

“There are two fundamental aspects that result in an unbalanced structure and lack of legitimacy and non-representativeness of the UN Security Council – these are membership; and the veto.Harish said, “There is broad agreement on the urgent need for reform of the UN Security Council. It is clear that a structure designed more than 80 years ago does not meet the needs of today’s geopolitical realities.”The Indian envoy recalled that the only reform of the Council in the 1960s, which only broadened the temporary category, led to an increase in the relative power of veto-wielders.In comparison, when the original ratio of permanent members, with veto, to temporary members was 5:6, this was revised to 5:10 for the relative advantage of veto-welders.“Any reform that is not accompanied by an expansion to the permanent category with a veto will worsen this ratio and thereby, perpetuate existing imbalances and inequalities. Therefore, expanding the permanent category with a veto is critical to genuine reform of the Security Council,” he said.Harish also noted that consideration of a new category under the UNSC reform framework, with or without a veto, would “complicate” already existing discussions that include a wide range of views. “It is important to limit the scope of reforms within the existing framework to simplify and fast-track the reform path,” he said.India has been at the forefront of a decades-long effort calling for reform of the Security Council, including expansion of both its permanent and non-permanent sections, saying the 15-nation council, established in 1945, is not fit for purpose in the 21st century and does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.New Delhi insists it deserves a permanent seat at the horseshoe table.Each Security Council member, elected and unelected, has also raised the issue of “effective veto” in products/outcomes such as Security Council President’s Statements, Press Statements and Sanctions Committees.“There have been instances in the past where elected members have created obstruction by exercising their effective veto on council products only to serve their narrow interests,” he said.Harish also pointed to calls for veto control, as he referred to a resolution adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2022 to convene a formal meeting of the 193-member UN to hold a debate within 10 days of a permanent UNSC member exercising veto power.“However, this was not an effective deterrent,” Harish said, adding that since the proposal was adopted, 24 vetoes had been cast in 20 draft proposals. He added that seven draft proposals were vetoed in 2024, the highest since 1986.“UN membership has also witnessed the restraint of two permanent members who have not exercised a veto for more than three and a half decades. Permanent members exercise the veto many times based on their own national discretion.“Unless there is an enabling provision in the UN Charter, no limit can effectively be considered to be imposed, which would otherwise require a Charter amendment and therefore again subject to a veto!” He was out.