The United Nations Security Council meets on artificial intelligence at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at United Nations headquarters on Wednesday. (AP)
New Delhi: As the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran intensify, the United Nations Security Council has been unable to speak in one voice.
The most powerful members of the UNSC, the permanent members with veto powers, have been divided over aspects of both conflicts, underlining the limitations of the key global body responsible for international peace and security
So why does India want a seat at the UNSC table at a time when multilateral action has been found severely wanting with UN Secretary-General António Guterres warning that conflicts have paralysed the Security Council?
Why India wants the seat
India is pursuing two goals simultaneously at the ongoing UN General Assembly in the US. First, it has intensified its campaign for a non-permanent UNSC seat, a rotational two-year term, for the 2028–2029 term. The second long-term goal is to continue a decades-long campaign to become a permanent member of the UNSC.
While the first goal is achievable, the second one remains a long-term aspiration. The UNSC has five permanent members who have veto powers while the other 10 members are non-permanent members who have a fixed term of two years with representation from different blocs.
Veto powers mean that only the five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States – have the power to block any resolution even though abstaining doesn’t count as a veto.
So why does India want a presence within the UNSC without veto power? India sees a non-permanent seat as an opportunity to exercise diplomatic influence, represent the Global South, shape debate on issues and build the case for permanent member status.
Experts noted that it gets India a seat at the table and allows it to work within the system, supporting multilateralism, at a particularly critical time when multilateralism is fracturing. There have been instances of countries pursuing their own agenda and interpreting international laws according to their national interests or not following them at all.
“Why it is important for India to be in the UNSC is because of the very nature of the Security Council. Because it is one of the most important bodies of the UN. It is important to be there and that is where geopolitics is decided,” said T.S. Tirumurti, former Indian Permanent Representative/ambassador to the United Nations in New York.
“Whenever we have been there people have understood that we have contributed in a positive way. India has been a positive force in the UNSC even if we are not permanent members. Many times we speak on behalf of the Global South, especially Africa.”
While it cannot challenge the veto power, India has in the past used its alliances with permanent members to push its agenda. In 2021, under India’s presidency, the UNSC adopted a resolution that “demanded that Afghan territory not be used to threaten or attack any country; shelter or train terrorists; plan and finance terrorist acts”, two weeks after the Taliban takeover. The resolution was sponsored by France, the UK and the US and got 13 votes with Russia and China abstaining.
This time round, India’s campaign, centred on SHANTI, an acronym for Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity. The campaign is built around the importance of international rules, which has become casualty in conflicts as civilian infrastructure has been targetted in Iran and Ukraine maritime security, multilateralism and counter terrorism.
What are India’s chances of returning to the UNSC?
Unlike the previous term in 2021–2022, when India was elected unopposed, this time Tajikistan too is in the race. The Central Asian country is on a maiden effort to get into the UNSC and has the endorsement of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), which consists of 57 member states. The country that gets a two-thirds majority in the secret ballot elections, set to take place in June 2027, would get the two-year term.
According to Khovar, Tajikistan’s National News Agency, the Central Asian country’s campaign is centred around giving smaller nations, impacted by issues of sustainable development, and climate change, a greater voice in the UNSC
Still, India, which has been on the council eight times, has economic heft as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and is one of the largest cumulative contributors to United Nations peacekeeping missions. Since 1948, India has sent over 300,000 personnel to more than 50 missions since 1948, according to government data.
But the question is whether that is enough. “We are confident our candidate will be given due consideration by all countries,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in July.
Countries contesting for the first time have prevailed on a previous occasion. Central Asian country Kyrgyzstan, which stood for the first time, scored a victory over the Philippines for the 2027–28 seat. Tajikistan is hoping to replicate that win for Central Asia.
Still, India has stepped up the campaign this week on the sidelines of the UNGA as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has met different blocs of countries like the CARICOM and CELAC groups of countries, which included countries in the Caribbean Sea and Latin America, apart from the Pacific Island countries and IBSA, a grouping of India, Brazil and South Africa.
Participated in the IBSA Foreign Ministers’ Meeting today with FM @RonaldLamola of South Africa and FM Mauro Vieira of Brazil. #UNGA81
Our Joint Media Statement underscored:
✅ Commitment to the UN Charter, international law and a stronger multilateral system.
✅ Support for… pic.twitter.com/8pc2Q2KwwZ
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 25, 2026
The question remains over whether India’s record at the UNSC, where it has represented issues related to the Global South, and campaign will gain the required support.
The reforms debate
For India, the UNSC contest also ties into the larger push to expand the UNSC permanent seat. India along with a host of other countries ranging from Africa to Japan and Germany have for years been seeking expansion of the UNSC permanent membership, arguing that the world has changed since 1945, when the UNSC was set up, and that large portions of the world do not have adequate representation.
“The problem the UN has is that you cannot have a credible body which doesn’t reflect contemporary realities. There are middle powers that are saying we have a voice and we are not going to be rubber stamps. Credibility of the UN and UNSC comes only if you include them in decision-making,” said Tirumurti.
But changing the UNSC composition is much harder than being elected as a non-permanent member as it requires changing the UN Charter, two-thirds majority and ratification by two-thirds UN members including all five permanent UNSC members.
This is why India’s push has been going on for decades. The latest to support India’s permanent bid was from the Visegrád Group, which includes Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Among the permanent members, China has not explicitly endorsed India’s permanent membership amid debate among the other members over whether new additions would have veto rights. There is also opposition to India’s candidature from groups like the Uniting for Consensus coalition, which is also known as the coffee club, which includes Pakistan.
There is also differences among countries on what reform should look like. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called for abolishing permanent membership and the veto powers.
While multilateralism has been found wanting, the ongoing UN General Assembly has underlined the importance of the UN as world leaders including US President Donald Trump, who has often dismissed the UN, have gathered to put their point of view across.
“The UN over the years has contributed tremendously to bringing about a world order which is based on certain international laws, rules and regulations,” said Tirumurti. “Even if you look at Palestine, if there is a two-state solution, it flows from various UNSC resolutions.”