India has called for extending veto powers to all permanent members of a reformed United Nations Security Council (UNSC), as discussions on restructuring the body gather pace.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, said that as long as the veto remains part of the Council’s functioning, it should be available to every permanent member in an expanded and reformed UNSC.
He also urged the current five permanent members— the United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France— to exercise restraint and not use the veto as an instrument for narrow political expediency.
Harish noted that the UNSC’s present structure reflects the geopolitical realities of 1945 and argued that it should be comprehensively updated to better mirror today’s global realities. He reiterated that any newly created permanent seats should also carry veto rights.
