In a huge diplomatic win for India, the country’s candidature for a non-permanent seat at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term in 2021-22, has been unanimously endorsed by the Asia-Pacific Group, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Syed Akbaruddin informed.
The Asia-Pacific Group comprises of 55 nations.
The 55 countries that have supported India’s candidature, include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Syria, Turkey, UAE and Vietnam.
Elections for five non-permanent members of the 15-nation Council for the 2021-22 term will be held around June next year.
Thanking the nations that endorsed India’s candidature, India’s permanent representative at the UN, Syed Akbaruddin tweeted: “A unanimous step. Asia-Pacific Group @UN unanimously endorses India’s candidature for a non-permanent seat of the Security Council for a 2-year term in 2021/22.”
His tweet, accompanied with a video message, further said: “Asia-Pacific Group endorses India for Non-Permanent Seat of United Nations Security Council. 55 countries, 1 nominee – India for non-permanent seat of UN Security Council Term 2021-2022.”
Meanwhile, in a major boost to India’s efforts to secure a permanent seat at the UNSC, the German Ambassador to India has strongly advocated the need for India to be on the much-coveted board of the UN body.
India is at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for the long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.
Earlier in May, France’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Francois Delattre, had batted for the inclusion of India as a permanent member of the council.
In September 2018, India and other G-4 countries had reaffirmed the need for early reform of the UN Security Council, including the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership.