After support from US and France, India’s UNSC bid now gets endorsement from UK PM Keir Starmer

India’s bid for a permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) got another major boost on September 27 after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer voiced support for Indian representation in his address at the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. Starmer’s support follows a similar endorsement from French President Emmanuel Macron. 

Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York, Keir Starmer said, “The Security Council has to change to become a more representative body, willing to act – not paralysed by politics.” 

This follows similar calls from US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron for India's inclusion. 

Addressing the General Assembly, the UK Prime Minister said that “the Security Council has to change to become a more representative body, willing to act – not paralysed by politics”. 

“We want to see permanent African representation on the Council, Brazil, India, Japan and Germany as permanent members, and more seats for elected members as well”, Starmer said. 

India has at the forefront calling for urgent, long-overdue reforms of the UN Security Council, asserting that it rightfully deserves a permanent seat at the highest body of the global organisation. India contends that the 15-member council, established in 1945, is “outdated and fails to represent the current geopolitical landscape of the 21st century.” 

Currently, the United Nations Security Council consists of five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members. The non-permanent members are elected by the United Nations General Assembly for a two-year term. There are only five permanent members — Russia, the United Kingdom, China, France, and the United States — who holds the power to veto any substantive resolution. 

India’s most recent term at the UN high table was as a non-permanent member from 2021 to 2022. There is an increasing call to expand the number of permanent members to better reflect the realities of today’s global dynamics.

During the Quad Leaders' Summit, leaders of the Quad (US, India, Japan, and Australia) emphasised the need for comprehensive reforms of the UN body in a joint statement.

This followed bilateral talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Biden on September 21 in Wilmington, Delaware, where Biden reaffirmed the US’s backing for India's inclusion in a reformed Security Council, according to a White House statement.