UN SECURITY COUNCIL REFORM: ASSESSING INDIA’S BID FOR A PERMANENT SEAT ON THE UNSC

This research paper aims to evaluate India’s prospects for securing “a permanent seat” on the “UN Security Council” (UNSC). The paper will evaluate the chances of India’s success and the major impediments it faces. In doing so, the paper will trace the evolution of “the reform process” and will delve into the positions of major negotiating blocs, including the G4, “Uniting for Consensus” (UfC), “the African group”, and “the Permanent members” of “the Security Council” (P5). While there is strong support for reform of the UNSC, including expansion of its membership to reflect the contemporary geopolitical realities, there are serious difficulties in achieving a consensus. The research will underline the strong basis on which India argues its case. Considering the trajectory of ongoing intergovernmental negotiations, the research will proceed on the hypothesis that India’s bid is unlikely to materialise “in the short-term” due to the entrenched positions of different groups and strong political resistance, especially from China, and ambiguity within individual members of P5 on the issue of veto power.