This is not the first time India had expressed frustration over the dragging reform process.
(Reporting by Sidhant Sibal)
India has expressed its dissatisfaction over the pace of reforms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Speaking at an informal meeting of the plenary of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Question of the Equitable Representation on and the Increase in the Membership of the Security Council, India said the reform process had been ground to 'winding pathways'.
New Delhi's frustration was expressed by Syed Akbaruddin, India's Permanent Representative to the UN. This is not the first time that New Delhi has expressed its displeasure over the process, which would invariably include a seat for India as a permanent member of the Security Council, the UN's top decision making body.
"Reform, we all know, at the UN is a process rather than an event. However, there is no process known to us here that has traversed winding pathways in the manner as this process of the Reform of the Security Council. In terms of length, it is unparalleled. In terms of inertia too, it has no peer," said Akbaruddin, better recognised in India for his former role as the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.
India has been working with countries like the G-4 (India, Japan, Brazil and Germany) and L.69 (made up of cross-regional developing countries) to form a consensus on reforms. A large number of countries have supported India's bid. Four of the five permanent members have expressed support for India at the highest table - Russia, US, UK and France. The only permanent member which has not offered unconditional support is China, which has said it would support India's bid only if New Delhi's dropped its support of Japan's efforts towards the same goal.
New Delhi also backed the African demand on representation at the UNSC. "We vociferously support the call for the reflection of the Common African Position, as specified in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, in any document under consideration. It is a call to address a long-standing injustice. Africa's voice cannot be excluded," Akbaruddin said.
The Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration between them call for African states to be given two permanent seats and two non-permanent, with members being chosen by the African Union.
Apart from this, India has already put up its candidacy for the non-permanent seat at the UNSC for the term of 2021-22. which Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh told Parliament would "significantly strengthen India's claim to permanent membership."
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 "India's Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin speaking at the UN.")
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