India Slams Draft On UN Body Expansion, Calls For Negotiation Clarity - NDTV

India has sharply rebuked a new 'Elements Paper' on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform, asserting that any expansion limited solely to non-permanent members would render the entire process a 'failure.' India Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, delivered a forceful critique on June 15, 2026, accusing the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) co-chairs of diluting the overwhelming global consensus for broadening the Council's permanent membership. The move escalates a decades-long diplomatic struggle to modernize a global body still structured around post-World War II realities. India, alongside the G4 nations (Brazil, Germany, Japan) and the African Group, vehemently advocates for expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories, emphasizing the need to correct historical injustices and enhance representation from underrepresented regions like Africa. This push directly challenges the entrenched interests of existing Permanent Members, particularly China, which has historically resisted India aspirations. New Delhi is now demanding a swift transition to text-based negotiations with clear timelines, arguing that the current approach of seeking consensus before a draft text is 'placing the cart before the horse' and leading to an 'endless debate.' The coming weeks will test whether this renewed diplomatic offensive can break the prolonged deadlock in the IGN, pushing the UN closer to a Security Council that truly reflects 21st-century geopolitical dynamics, or if the reform process will continue to languish without tangible outcomes.