India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, has called for urgent reform of the UN Security Council, highlighting that despite decades of discussion, significant changes to the Council’s structure have not occurred since 1965. Speaking at the UN General Assembly in New York on Monday, Harish underscored that although leaders have repeatedly identified Security Council reform as a top priority, progress has stalled.
Harish attributed this lack of advancement to three main factors: the limitations of the intergovernmental negotiation (IGN) process, a persistent demand for consensus by certain nations, and inadequate representation of the Global South. “Sixteen years since its inception, the IGN remains largely confined to exchanging statements, speaking at rather than with each other. No negotiating text, no time frame, and no defined end goal,” he remarked. He further criticised the demand for consensus from a select group of nations that, in his view, places the process at an impasse by requiring all members to reach agreement on all points before text-based negotiations can even begin. Harish added that, as a representative of the Global South, India sees improved representation as essential for both the Council’s legitimacy and the UN’s effectiveness.
Emphasising India’s commitment to collaborative and inclusive international relations, Harish drew attention to the example of the G20. Under India’s presidency, the G20 admitted the African Union as a full member, which he presented as evidence of how political will can effect change. “The UN turns 80 next year,” he pointed out, adding that the Council, as the primary body for maintaining global peace, has often been stymied by contemporary geopolitical complexities far removed from the era of 1945.
As the UN approaches this milestone, Harish urged member states to pursue constructive engagement aimed at achieving concrete outcomes on Security Council reforms. He highlighted that while there are points of convergence, these should not be mistaken for consensus—a distinction he believes is essential to prevent superficial reforms from taking the place of meaningful change. He warned against settling for a “lowest common denominator” model, which he said risks diluting the impact of genuine reform and could leave important issues, like increased permanent representation for regions like Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, unaddressed.
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Harish’s speech concluded with a call to action for member states to work collaboratively towards a substantive resolution that aligns with the aspirations of the broader UN membership. “The legitimacy and credibility of the UN must be preserved by updating it. That indeed should be our resolution for the UN’s 80th anniversary,” he stated.
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