During his address at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, French President Emmanuel Macron voiced France’s support for India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
Macron said, “So let’s simply make the UN more effective, first and foremost, by making it more representative. That’s why France, and I will say it again here, supports the expansion of the Security Council. Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil should be permanent members, along with the two countries designated by Africa to represent it.”
French President @EmmanuelMacron reiterates France’s call for a reform of the UN Security Council that would include a permanent seat for India during his address at #UNGA79
:@franceonu @francediplo_EN @MEAIndia pic.twitter.com/0cIPxbWM0i
— French Embassy in India
(@FranceinIndia) September 26, 2024
The French President also emphasised the need for reform within the UN, stressing that making the organisation more representative is crucial to greater effectiveness. “As long as we have a Security Council that is blocked reciprocally, I would say, according to each one’s respective interests, it will be difficult to move forward. Is there a better system? I don’t think so.”
India has long sought a permanent seat in the Security Council to better represent the developing world’s interests. With support from the international community, the nation’s quest has gained momentum.
Who Are The Members?
The United Nations Security Council comprises 15 member states, including five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The five permanent members include China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States.
The non-permanent United Nations Security Council members are elected for 2-year terms by the UNGA.
Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his address at the ‘Summit of the Future’ at the UN General Assembly in New York, also called for reforms in the global institutions and termed reforms the “key to relevance.”
