Washington: The Biden administration on Wednesday offered its backing to the idea of reforming the United Nations institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) following intense pressure from several countries including India. Notably, India, for a long, has been demanding a reform in the UNSC as well as a permanent seat.
US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel, during a press briefing on Wednesday, reacted to the statement by Tesla CEO Elon Musk who advocated for India's permanent seat at the UNSC.
"The President has spoken about this before in his remarks to the UN General Assembly, and the Secretary has alluded to this as well. We certainly support reforms to the UN institution, including the Security Council, to make it reflective of the 21st-century world that we live in. I don't have any specifics to offer on what those steps are, but certainly, we recognise that there is a need for reform, but I will leave it at that for now."
VIDEO: US State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel press briefing
Revision: In January, Elon Musk called India not having a permanent seat in the UNSC as 'absurd.' He said that nations with excess power don't want to relinquish it.
In a post on X, Musk said, "At some point, there needs to be a revision of the UN bodies. The problem is that those with excess power don't want to give it up. India not having a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite being the most populous country on Earth, is absurd. Africa collectively should also have a permanent seat in."
Why India wants permanent seat at UNSC
India has long sought a permanent seat on the Security Council to better represent the interests of the developing world. The nation's quest has gained momentum with support from the international community. The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is composed of 15 member states, including five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms.
The five permanent members of the UNSC include China, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and the United States. The non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are elected for 2-year terms by the UNGA.
Earlier in January, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed growing global support for India's permanent membership at the United Nations Security Council and said that sometimes things are not given generously, and one has to seize them.
"With each passing year, the feeling in the world is that India should be there, and I can feel that support...The world does not give things easily and generously; sometimes you have to take them," the EAM said while responding to a question about a permanent seat for India at the UNSC. He made the remarks at 'Manthan': Townhall meeting in Maharashtra's Nagpur.
(With inputs from agency)
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