Daily News Analysis ‘India Launches Campaign for UN Security Council Seat’ : 7 July

Why in News:

• India has launched its campaign for a non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028–29 term.

India’s UNSC Bid: Key Facts

• United Nations Security Council (UNSC): Primary UN body responsible for maintaining international peace and security.
• Composition: 15 members – 5 Permanent Members (P5) with veto power (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States) and 10 Non-Permanent Members.
• Non-Permanent Members: Elected by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) for a 2-year term; 5 members retire every year.
• Election: Requires a two-thirds majority of members present and voting in the UNGA.
• Regional Distribution: Seats are allocated regionally; Asia-Pacific Group has 2 non-permanent seats.
• India’s Candidature: Contesting for the Asia-Pacific seat for the 2028–29 term; Tajikistan is the other candidate.
• India at UNSC: India has served as a non-permanent member eight times (most recently 2021–22).
• India’s Priorities: Promotes UNSC reforms, multilateralism, counter-terrorism, Global South concerns, and equitable global governance.
• UNSC Reform: India is a member of the G4 Group (India, Brazil, Germany and Japan), which advocates expansion of both permanent and non-permanent UNSC membership.
• Unique Fact: India is one of the largest contributors to United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKOs) and has deployed over 2.9 lakh peacekeepers since 1948, strengthening its case for a greater role in the UNSC.