Jaishankar discusses global developments, including West Asia, Ukraine with UN Chief Guterres
India's external affairs leadership held discussions with the UN Secretary-General on global developments, including the situation in West Asia and the war in Ukraine, at UN headquarters
On the sidelines, India formally launched its campaign for election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term, at an event attended by UN ambassadors, diplomats and officials
The campaign outlined India's peacekeeping record and multilateral priorities, including advocacy for better-equipped and technologically enabled peacekeeping mandates and the Women, Peace and Security agenda
India positioned itself as a voice for the Global South and reiterated its long-standing push for dialogue and diplomacy in ongoing conflicts
UNSC Composition and Election of Non-Permanent Members (Article 23, UN Charter)
The UN Security Council has 15 members: 5 permanent members (P5 — US, UK, France, Russia, China) with veto power, and 10 non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) for two-year terms. Article 23 of the UN Charter provides that election gives "due regard" to a member state's contribution to international peace and security and to "equitable geographical distribution."
Key Details
- Non-permanent members are elected for a two-year term; a retiring member is not eligible for immediate re-election
- Election requires a two-thirds majority of the 193-member UNGA (Article 18 read with Article 23)
- The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed among regional groups under UNGA Resolution 1991 (XVIII), 1963 — the same resolution that expanded the Council from 11 to 15 members
- Half the non-permanent members retire each year, so elections are held annually for five seats
India's campaign for the 2028-29 term will culminate in a UNGA vote requiring a two-thirds majority, contested within its regional group (Asia-Pacific) under the Article 23 framework.
India's UNSC Candidacy History
India has served as a non-permanent UNSC member eight times, making it one of the most frequently elected non-permanent members in UN history, though it has never held a permanent seat, which remains restricted to the P5 named in Article 23(1) of the Charter.
Key Details
- India's eight terms: 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12, and 2021-22
- Each term is two years, following the standard Article 23 tenure
- India campaigns within the Asia-Pacific regional group for its allotted non-permanent seat(s)
A successful 2028-29 bid would be India's ninth non-permanent term, extending a pattern of roughly decade-spaced elections to the Council.
G4 and Comprehensive UNSC Reform
The G4 — India, Brazil, Germany and Japan — is an informal grouping formed in 2005 that coordinates to seek permanent seats on an expanded UNSC and endorses each other's candidacies. It represents India's parallel, longer-term push for permanent membership, distinct from its recurring non-permanent candidacies.
Key Details
- G4 proposals envisage expanding the UNSC to around 25-26 seats, adding 6 new permanent members (2 from Africa, 2 from Asia-Pacific, 1 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 1 from Western Europe and Others) plus additional non-permanent seats
- The main opposition bloc is "Uniting for Consensus" (the "Coffee Club"), which opposes any expansion of permanent membership
- All P5 members have expressed support for India's permanent-seat bid at some point, though comprehensive reform requires amending Article 108/109 of the UN Charter (two-thirds of UNGA plus ratification by all P5)
The 2028-29 non-permanent seat campaign runs alongside — but is legally distinct from — India's G4-driven push for permanent UNSC membership, which needs a Charter amendment rather than a simple UNGA election.
India's UN Peacekeeping Record
India has historically been among the largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping operations, a record it has used as a diplomatic asset in Security Council campaigns.
Key Details
- India has contributed to 49 of the UN's peacekeeping missions to date, with cumulative personnel contributions exceeding 250,000
- India ranked first among troop-contributing countries with 5,901 military personnel deployed as of December 2023 (SIPRI data), and remained a leading contributor through 2024 across around 12 active missions
- UN peacekeeping itself operates under a mix of Chapter VI (pacific settlement) and Chapter VII (enforcement) authority of the UN Charter, though "peacekeeping" is not itself named in the Charter — it is often called "Chapter Six-and-a-Half"
The campaign explicitly foregrounds this peacekeeping record and India's push for reformed, technologically enabled peacekeeping mandates as a pitch for non-permanent member votes.
- India's UNSC campaign for 2028-29 was formally launched on 14 July 2026
- UNSC: 15 total members — 5 permanent (veto-holding), 10 non-permanent (2-year terms, no immediate re-election)
- Non-permanent member election requires a two-thirds majority in the 193-member UNGA
- Regional distribution of non-permanent seats formalised by UNGA Resolution 1991 (XVIII), 1963
- India has served 8 non-permanent terms: 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12, 2021-22
- G4 (India, Brazil, Germany, Japan) formed in 2005; proposes UNSC expansion to 25-26 seats
- India ranked the top troop contributor to UN peacekeeping as of December 2023 (5,901 personnel, SIPRI)