France Wants UN Security Council Expanded With India As Permanent Member: Macron
France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded. Germany, Japan, India and Brazil should become permanent members, Macron said.
There is a need to expand the United Nations Security Council, and India should be among the nations who are granted a permanent seat in the top global body, French President Emmanuel Macron said.
While addressing the UN General Debate in New York on Wednesday, Macron said the multilateral institution needs to become more representative to operate efficiently.
"I hear many voices say that the United Nations should be thrown into the trash, it's no longer useful," Macron said in his speech.
"You see, we clearly cannot resolve conflicts," the French leader added. His statement comes in the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and the threat of a full-scale war in the Middle East, with the hostilities increasing between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah.
"Let us be constructively impatient in this matter. Let us just make the United Nations more efficient. First, by perhaps, making it more representative," Macron said.
UNSC Expansion
"France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded. Germany, Japan, India and Brazil should become permanent members, as well as two countries that Africa would designate to represent it," Macron said.
His remarks comes three days after the United States, in an official statement issued following the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden, reiterated its support for India's permanent seat in the UNSC.
"President Biden shared with Prime Minister Modi that the United States supports initiatives to reform global institutions, to reflect India's important voice, including permanent membership for India in a reformed UN Security Council," the White House said in a statement issued on Sept. 22.
This was followed by Modi calling for reforms in global institutions, while addressing the UN Summit of the Future on Sept. 23. "The success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not in the battlefield. For global peace and development, reforms in global institutions are important. Reform is the key to relevance."
Currently, the UNSC has five permanent members—the US, the UK, Russia, France and China. Barring China, the other four countries have diplomatically endorsed India's bid for inclusion.
