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International Relations GS 2 In the news 4 times

UN Security Council Reform and India's Permanent Membership Bid

India has been a leading voice for reform of the United Nations Security Council, which India and many nations argue does not reflect contemporary global power dynamics. The UNSC's permanent membership has remained unchanged since 1945, with five permanent members (P5): the US, UK, France, Russia, and China.

Key details
  • UNSC: 15 members (5 permanent with veto power + 10 non-permanent elected for 2-year terms)
  • India has served as a non-permanent member of the UNSC 8 times, most recently in 2021-22
  • G4 nations (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan) collectively advocate for UNSC expansion and permanent membership
  • The "Uniting for Consensus" group (led by Italy, Pakistan, South Korea, among others) opposes the expansion of permanent membership
  • The Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on UNSC reform have been ongoing since 2009 under the UN General Assembly
  • Key reform proposals: expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories; reform of the veto power
  • Africa demands at least two permanent seats under the Ezulwini Consensus (2005)
  • Amendment of the UN Charter (required for UNSC reform) needs a two-thirds majority in the UNGA and ratification by two-thirds of UN members, including all P5 members
In the news

Tracked since March 05, 2026 · last seen May 21, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes

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