Will the Minister of EXTERNAL AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether several countries have extended their support to India for securing permanent membership in UN Security Council;
(b) if so, the details of such countries along with the names of those countries who are against India’s efforts in this regard; and
(c) the steps taken so far by the Government of India towards securing permanent membership in the Security Council?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
[GEN. (DR) V. K. SINGH (RETD)]
(a) to (c) India has all the credentials to be a permanent member in an expanded and reformed UN Security Council (UNSC) that will reflect contemporary global realities.
A large number of countries have supported India’s candidature for permanent membership in an expanded UN Security Council. This has been expressed in various forms and fora including in bilateral discussions with the Government of India. India’s performance as a non-permanent member of the Security Council during 2011-12 has also significantly strengthened India’s claim to permanent membership. There is a small minority of countries known as the Uniting for Consensus (UfC) that includes Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Spain and Turkey, that would like to see expansion in only the non-permanent category and is opposed to an expansion of permanent membership.
A series of initiatives involving bilateral and multilateral platforms has been undertaken by the Government in pursuance of permanent membership in an expanded Security Council. India is actively engaged in the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiations on UNSC reform at the UN. Further, we are working alongside other reform-oriented countries through the G-4 (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) and the L.69 Group (a cross regional grouping of developing countries).