India at the UN: The Veto Cannot Stay Limited to the P5 in a Reformed Security Council
India told the United Nations that in a reformed Security Council, the veto cannot remain limited to the five current permanent members (the P5: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States).
India's position is that as long as the veto exists, every permanent member of a reformed Council must have it. New permanent members without a veto would become a lower, "second-class" tier.
India said that in principle it would prefer the veto to be abolished. But until that happens, the same rights must apply to old and new permanent members alike.
India repeated that General Assembly resolution 76/262 (2022), which forces a General Assembly debate after every veto, has not stopped permanent members from using the veto.
The statement was made in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN), the UN talks on Security Council reform, where India also asked for text-based negotiations with clear timelines.
United Nations Security Council (UNSC): Composition, Powers, and the Veto
The UN Security Council is the most powerful body of the United Nations. Its main job is to keep international peace and security, and its decisions under Chapter VII of the UN Charter bind all UN members. It has 15 members: the 5 permanent members (P5) and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The veto is the power of any one permanent member to block a decision on an important matter simply by voting "no".
India's demand goes to the heart of how the Council works. Because the veto sits only with the P5 and any reform needs their ratification, India argues that new permanent members must get the same rights, or the Council would simply add a weaker class of members.
UN Security Council Reform: G4, Uniting for Consensus and the IGN Process
Security Council reform is the long-running effort to change the Council so that it reflects today's world, not the world of 1945. The talks cover how many members the Council should have, whether to add new permanent seats, what to do about the veto, and fair seats for regions like Africa, Asia and Latin America. Countries have formed rival groups with very different plans, which is why progress has been slow.
The veto is one of the five IGN clusters. India's statement that the veto cannot stay with the P5 alone is its stand on this cluster, and it lines India up with the African Group against proposals for permanent seats without veto.
Veto Initiative (UNGA Resolution 76/262): Making the Veto Answerable
The Veto Initiative is a decision of the UN General Assembly, adopted in April 2022, that makes the whole UN membership discuss every veto. Whenever a permanent member of the Security Council casts a veto, the General Assembly must meet within 10 working days to debate the issue. It does not take away or limit the veto. It only makes the country that used the veto explain itself in front of all 193 member states. You can think of it like a school rule that does not stop the monitor from overruling the class, but makes the monitor stand up and explain the decision to everyone.
India's statement repeats that resolution 76/262 has not stopped the use of the veto. For India, making the P5 explain their vetoes is not enough. The real fix is reform of the veto itself, and as long as the veto exists, new permanent members must have it too.
- UNSC: 15 members; 5 permanent (P5) and 10 non-permanent members elected for two years
- Article 27(3): 9 of 15 votes, including all P5 concurring votes, for non-procedural decisions
- Article 108: Charter amendments need two-thirds of the General Assembly and ratification by two-thirds of members, including all P5
- IGN on Security Council reform began after decision 62/557 (15 September 2008); five clusters
- G4: India, Brazil, Germany, Japan
- Resolution 76/262 (Veto Initiative): adopted 26 April 2022; debate within 10 working days of a veto
- India (April 2026): 24 vetoes on 20 draft resolutions since the Veto Initiative was adopted
- Uniting for Peace: Resolution 377 (V), 3 November 1950