"I believe it would a great thing if the president were to do this during his visit," Karl Inderfurth, professor of international relations at George Washington University, told Rediff India Abroad
The Council will vote on the draft resolution at 3 pm Friday (New York time), two days after it held an emergency meeting on the situation in Ukraine just as Putin had announced Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.
China's increasing presence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir was not discussed, but both nations did discuss Pakistan, China and other issues related to maritime disputes and the security situation in the Indian Ocean.
By proposing the addition of six permanent members this year, it may appear that it was a major concession, but in actual fact, it will make no difference to the privilege of the permanent five as the new six will have no veto, ever! points out Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have called for enhancing trade and investment ties between their countries and committed to further deepening their engagement in the Indo-Pacific. They discussed a full spectrum of bilateral relations, including key global and regional issues, and stressed the urgent need for reform in the United Nations Security Council. The leaders also underscored their commitment to ensuring the global AI sector can drive positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes.
India, which has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the UNSC, began its two-year tenure at the Council on Friday last.
The UN Security Council members on Monday reaffirmed the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities and violence in Afghanistan and that for any acceptance and legitimacy, there needs to be a political settlement that fully respects the human rights of women, children and minorities, India's Permanent Representative to the UN and President of the Security Council Ambassador T S Tirumurti said.
India will sit in the 15-nation United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2021-22 term as a non-permanent member - the eighth time that the country has had a seat on the powerful horseshoe table.
India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.
'It is typical of China's strategic deception of making virtue out of necessity,' observes Rup Narayan Das.
The President of the Security Council for December said India has taken the side of peace and favours de-escalation through diplomacy and dialogue.
The resolution, drafted by France and Tunisia, 'demands a general and immediate cessation of hostilities in all situations on its agenda and supports the efforts undertaken by the Secretary-General and his Special Representatives and Special Envoys'.
India was the sole abstention while all other 14 members of the Council voted in favour of the resolution that decided that processing or payment of funds, other financial assets, economic resources, and provision of goods and services necessary to ensure the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance are permitted and are not a violation of the asset freezes imposed by the Council or its Sanctions Committee.
Multilateral platforms are being misused to justify and protect perpetrators of terrorism, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Moscow sees the prospect of making the Security Council more democratic, exclusively, through broadening the representation of countries from Africa, Asia and Latin America.
R Ravindra, India's Deputy Permanent Representative (DPR) to the United Nations, on Wednesday, underlined New Delhi's efforts to send humanitarian assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip, amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, saying that it has sent 38 tonnes of food and critical medical equipment to the region.
Without naming Pakistan, he said there are some who are trying to project an 'alarmist approach' to the situation in Kashmir, which is far from the ground realities.
Strongly condemning the terrorist strikes in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, India has told the United Nations Security Council that these attacks reinforce the need for the world to stand unitedly against terrorism and all those who provide sanctuaries to terrorists.
India has said that the United Nations Security Council was persistently 'encroaching' and 'undermining' the work of the General Assembly as it asked for it's revitalisation as the representative organ of the world body.
Poland, which currently holds the council's rotating presidency, has listed the matter for discussion at 10 am on Friday, the diplomats were quoted as saying.
"The fight against impunity is critical to the larger pursuit of securing peace and justice. The Security Council must send an unambiguous and unequivocal message on this count," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told the 15-nation UN Security Council briefing on Ukraine 'Fight against impunity'.
India has asked the UN Security Council to make mandatory provisions for prosecuting and neutralising armed groups that threaten to harm UN peacekeeping operations.
India slammed China for helping Pakistan in trying to raise the Kashmir issue at the UNSC, saying Beijing should seriously reflect on the global consensus. The latest attempt failed as other countries of the 15-member council felt Kashmir is a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.
Tirumurti said India continues to remain deeply concerned at the worsening situation and reiterates its call for immediate cessation of violence and end to hostilities.
The leaders also noted the "negative impacts" of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, especially for developing and least-developed countries.
The sources said France's position has not changed and is very clear -- the Kashmir issue must be settled bilaterally. This has been stated on several occasions and will continue to be reiterate to partners in the UN Security Council, they added.
Biden has reiterated America's support for India's permanent membership on a reformed UNSC and its entry into the NSG during his first in-person bilateral meeting with Modi at the White House.
Terming India a 'deserving candidate,' Russia on Monday backed its claim for a permanent membership in an expanded United Nations Security Council reflecting present-day realities.
United States' Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described India as a "self-appointed frontrunner" for a permanent United Nations Security Council seat and directed US envoys to seek minute details about Indian diplomats stationed at the United Nations headquarters, according to classified documents released by WikiLeaks on Monday.
He added that there was a proposal from France and UK some time ago for some restrictions in the use of the right of veto.
India has said frustration is building up among the international community over the United Nations Security Council's inability to respond to global crises due to lack of reforms in its structure and functioning.
India's top diplomat at the United Nations on Tuesday said that countries should negotiate on the text on the table and give their national positions on the issue.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy, who kicked off his 4-day India visit in Bengaluru on Saturday, made a strong case for India's inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.It was unthinkable that India was not yet a permanent member of the UNSC, said Sarkozy, who is visiting India with his wife Carla Bruni.
In his letter, Qureshi also accused the Indian government of using 'water as a weapon'.
Terrorism, UNSC reforms, piracy, peacekeeping and Syria will be among the focus areas of India when External Affairs Minister S M Krishna will participate in the UN General Assembly in New York on October 1.
The resolution unveiled by India said the new entrants should have the "same responsibilities and obligations" as the permanent members, including veto power.
New Delhi's candidature was unanimously endorsed by the 55-member Asia-Pacific grouping, including China and Pakistan, in June last year.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN, T S Tirumurti, made the remarks while speaking at a special flag installation ceremony organised at the Security Council stakeout here on Monday. Flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members of the Security Council - India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico - were installed at the stakeout during the special ceremony.
What are India's chances of getting a permanent seat in a revamped UN Security Council?
India has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the security council, saying it rightly deserved a place as a permanent member.
