The UNSC (United Nations Security Council) is one of the 6 principal organs of the United Nations. Five sets of issues have been identified by the United Nations General Assembly w.r.t. UNSC Reforms. These are

1. Categories of membership
2. The question of the veto
3. Regional representation
4. Size of an enlarged Council and its working methods and
5. The Security Council-General Assembly

Why reforms are needed?

• Changing geopolitical situation: The Security Council’s membership and working methods reflect a bygone era. Though geopolitics have changed drastically, the UNSC has changed relatively little since 1945, when wartime victors crafted a Charter in their interest and awarded “permanent” veto-wielding Council seats for the Allied victors.
• Reforms Long Overdue: The UNSC was expanded only once in 1963 to add 4 non-permanent members to the Council. Although the overall membership of the UN has increased from 113 to 193, there has been no change in the composition of the UNSC.
• Inequitable economic and geographical representation: While Europe is over-represented, Asia is underrepresented. Africa and South America have no representation at all.
• Crisis of legitimacy and credibility: Stalled reform agenda and various issues including its interventions in Libya and Syria in the name of responsibility have put questions on the credibility of the institution.
• North-South Divide: The permanent UNSC membership portrays the big North-South divide in the decision-making of security measures. For instance, there is no permanent member from Africa, despite the fact that 75% of its work is focused on that continent.
• Emerging issues: Issues such as deepening economic interdependence, worsening environmental degradation, transnational threats also call for effective multilateral negotiations among the countries based on consensus. Yet, all critical decisions of the UNSC are still being taken by the permanent members of the Security Council.

India’s bid

India’s bid for a permanent seat is multipronged. Over the last few years, India has extensively lobbied for this at the global stage. There is greater support for India to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council and also a broad global consensus over the need to reform the Council, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India has once again renewed its bid for permanent membership of UNSC.

• India’s Historic Association with the UN System:India is the founding member of the UN.
• India, till now has been elected for eight termsfor a two-year non-permanent member seat.
• Most significantly, India has almost twice the number of peacekeepersdeployed on the ground than by P5 countries.
  • India’s Intrinsic Value:India being the largest democracy and second-most populous country (soon to become most populous) in the world, are the primary reasons for it to be granted permanent membership in UNSC.
• Also, India is one of the largest economies and fastest-growing economiesof the world.
  • India’s Geopolitical Footprint:India''s acquired status of a Nuclear Weapons State (NWS) in May 1998 also makes India a natural claimant as a permanent member similar to the existing permanent members who are all Nuclear Weapon States.
• Also, India has been inducted in various export control regimeslike MTCR, Wassenaar arrangement, etc.
• India’s international profile and capabilities rise due to its ever-expanding global footprint in diverse areas like politics, sustainable development, economics, and culture and science and technology.
  • Representing the developing World:India is the undisputed leader of the Third world countries, as reflected by its leadership role in the Non-Aligned Movement.

Road Blocks in India’s Bid for Permanent Membership:

• Elite club:Most exclusive club in international relations. All other clubs have been breached. Until a quarter century ago, the nuclear weapon club had five members, the same five as the P-5.India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel have since joined the club. But UNSC is unbreachable till date.
• All are reluctant: The inescapable fact is that none of the P-5 wants the UNSC’s ranks to be increased. One or the other of them might make some noise about supporting one or more of the aspirants. Each is confident that someone among them will torpedo the enlargement of the club. Declarations of support for India’s candidature need to be taken with a fistful of salt.
• Veto issue: Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan bluntly told India not to expect to get the veto power. Though India has said it will not accept a seat without veto power.
• China-Pakistan axis: China, which has historically blocked India’s aspirations to become a permanent member of the UNSC. Beijing has an “all-weather ally” in Islamabad, another neighbour who also strongly opposes India’s candidature to the UNSC.
• Odd man out: Four out of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council have bilaterally expressed official affirmations of support for India’s candidature to a permanent seat in an expanded UN Security Council.
• Coffee club opposition: Members like Italy, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Mexico, Turkey, Argentina, Pakistan, and others, who have together formed the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) movement. Also known as the Coffee Club, the movement argues that bids for permanent seats by India, Japan, Germany, and Brazil (G4 countries) must not be considered without first reaching an international consensus regarding the form and size of the new Security council.

Efforts taken by India

• Text based negotiation: External affairs minister is canvassing for the country’s candidature, meeting his counterparts from several countries. He has repeated the call, made often in the past, for a text-based negotiation on what has been euphemistically referred to as the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), i.e., negotiation on a written document outlining the proposed reform instead of just holding forth verbally.
• Woking together with G-4: INDIA, JAPAN, GEMANY, BRAZIL works together to get permanent UNSC seat however these efforts are opposed by coffee club.
• Multilateral engagements: By expanding its footprint in multilateral organisations, India is gearing up to become a global rule-maker.
• Distinguished group of experts suggested a few years ago that a new category of semi-permanent members should be created. Countries would be elected for a period of eight to 10 years and would be eligible for re-election. India ought to give serious consideration to this idea.
• With or without veto: According to former foreign secretary Chinmaya gharekhan, if by some miracle we are offered or manage to obtain permanent membership without veto, we must grab it. Even a permanent membership without veto will be tremendously helpful in protecting our interests.

Looking Forward
What is evident thus far is that India’s yearning for a permanence in this game of thrones is mired in a web of complexities. Former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh highlighted that the way forward is for India to up its game to such a level that New Delhi is invited to overtake as a permanent member. He opined that instead of over-investing in diplomatic capital and simply launching a worldwide campaign, India must raise its military, economic, and geopolitical might to become a strategically important player.