New Delhi, February 21: India has firmly rejected the proposal for a third category of membership in the United Nations Security Council. This proposal included options for long-term tenure, eligibility for re-election, and an expansion of permanent membership. India has labeled this move as a tactic to delay necessary reforms.
India’s Permanent Deputy Representative, R. Ravindra, stated on Friday that the proposal for a third type of membership would only perpetuate the legitimacy crisis faced by the UN for decades.
During an Intergovernmental Negotiation (IGN) meeting, he remarked, “The intention behind considering a third category is to further delay the process and completely derail the direction of reforms, or to deliberately present an incomplete offer that will postpone genuine reform for decades, undermining the UN’s legitimacy, credibility, and relevance.”
The third category of membership, referred to as fixed regional seats, has primarily emerged from a small group of countries opposed to expanding permanent membership. This group, led by Italy and Pakistan, is attempting to build consensus among various nations against the expansion of permanent seats.
The Uniting for Consensus (UFC) group has proposed this category as a counter to the expansion of permanent membership. The UFC has consistently obstructed progress in negotiations by employing procedural tactics to prevent the adoption of necessary texts for advancement.
Targeting this group, Patel noted, “Except for a few member countries with vested interests, most agree that the time for reforming the Security Council is long overdue.”
Speaking on behalf of the Group of Four (G4), which includes Japan, Germany, and Brazil, Japanese Permanent Representative Yamakazi Kazuuki stated, “The proposed category of seats is essentially no different from the existing temporary seats.”
He added, “Since continuity of membership in this proposed category is not guaranteed, it cannot serve as a substitute for permanent seats and does not address the current structural imbalance within the Council.”
The G4 advocates for reforms such as the expansion of permanent membership and supports each other for permanent seats. Yamakazi reiterated that this proposal disregards the majority voices supporting expansion in both permanent and temporary categories.
Another reform-supporting group, L.69, which includes India, has also opposed the third category proposal. Saint Lucia’s Permanent Representative, Menisa Rambally, spoke on behalf of the L.69 group, expressing concern over any intermediate or hybrid proposal that replaces the two categories.
She stated, “This would not constitute genuine reform of the Council, and the Global South has not waited 80 years to accept a hybrid formula as mere consolation or a façade of reform.”
The L.69 group comprises 42 developing countries worldwide that strive for Council reform, named after a document that helped initiate the IGN process.
Patel dismissed another suggestion to grant veto power to fixed regional seat holders, stating, “No group should be given veto power without clarity on which country will use it and how. This new idea seems deliberately designed to complicate already challenging discussions and strengthen opposition to expanding permanent categories.”
Patel emphasized that merely expanding permanent and temporary categories is essential for achieving meaningful reform, which has garnered support from most UN members.
He concluded, “Any reform that does not expand the permanent category will be incomplete, unjust, and will disregard the hopes of many member countries, especially various groups focused on reform.”
Patel rejected claims that expanding permanent membership would complicate the Council’s work, asserting, “The methods and processes of the Security Council can be reviewed and improved to meet the needs of a reformed Council, which should include a greater presence of member countries in both categories.”
He highlighted that the lack of representation or underrepresentation of the Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America-Caribbean groups in the permanent category is crucial for any Council reform.
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