United Nations: India has sought continuation of inter-governmental negotiations at the United Nations on the reform of the 15-member powerful Security Council, including expansion of its both permanent and non-permanent seats and improvement of its working methods. In his address to the 66th session of the UN General Assembly, Rajya Sabha MP H K Dua said India was among the originators of an initiative on a short resolution launched earlier this year calling for the Security Council reform that includes expansion in both its permanent and non-permanent categories and improvement on its working methods.
"India played an important role in ensuring that the process of inter-governmental negotiations on Security Council reform was initiated and has played an active role in the deliberations ever since their commencement in 2009.
"We supported the start of text-based negotiations in 2010 and have already stated our clear support for the third revision of the negotiation text," Dua said. In his statement on the `Question of equitable representation on and increase in membership of the Security Council and other related matters`, Dua noted that an overwhelming majority of UN member-states, including more than 80 delegations which have done so in writing, have expressed their firm support for the ongoing initiative on UN reforms and expansion.
"In addition, the short resolution has also attracted verbal assurances of support from a number of other countries as well," he said.
PTI