NEW DELHI, Jan 24: Dennis Francis, the president of the U.N. General Assembly, stated on January 24 that reform of the U.N. Security Council is necessary since its current makeup does not accurately reflect the geopolitical landscape of today’s globe. He stated at a press conference soon after speaking with S. Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, that the Security Council has become increasingly incapable of making decisions in recent years to improve international peace and security. While in India for a five-day visit, Ambassador Francis emphasised the importance of UN Security Council reform. “It is imperative that the UN Security Council be reformed,” he declared, adding that he discussed the matter with Mr. Jaishankar as well.
India has been adamant on seeing changes made to the UN, particularly to the Security Council. The absence of significant progress in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform has infuriated New Delhi in particular. India is a serious candidate to join the UN Security Council permanently. Currently, the General Assembly of the United Nations elects 10 non-permanent members for two-year terms, while there are five permanent members of the UNSC. Russia, the United States, China, France, and the United Kingdom are the five permanent members, and they each have the power to veto any significant resolution.The president of the United Nations General Assembly praised India as well for helping the African Union become a full member of the G20. “India’s leadership in the international arena is evident in its outreach to Africa, especially in facilitating the African Union’s membership in the G20,” stated Francis. “There is no doubt in anyone’s mind about it.” More importantly, he continued, “it showed India’s long-standing commitment to support and facilitate development in the Global South.” Francis, a member of Trinidad and Tobago’s diplomatic corps, declared peace, prosperity, advancement, and sustainability to be among his top priorities as president. “Rebuilding trust and reigniting solidarity” is the subject of his 78th United Nations General Assembly presidency.
