India Demands Equal Veto Rights in UN Reforms
India has renewed its demand for comprehensive reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), insisting that all permanent members of an expanded Council must enjoy equal rights, including veto powers. Addressing the United Nations on October 26, 2026, India’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, opposed creating a second category of permanent members with fewer privileges than the existing five powers.
India Demands Equal Veto Rights in Reformed UNSC
Harish said India’s position remained consistent with the Common African Position, which advocates equal rights and responsibilities for all permanent members.
He argued that introducing permanent seats without veto powers would reinforce existing inequalities rather than address them.
The ambassador maintained that permanent membership and periodic elections were fundamentally different concepts, questioning proposals that sought to combine the two arrangements.
India Questions Misuse of UN Security Council Veto
Harish highlighted the historical use of veto powers, stating that the privilege had been exercised 331 times across approximately 200 resolutions.
He noted that two of the five permanent members had not exercised a veto for more than 35 years, while most vetoes or threats had originated from the remaining three.
India also questioned the effectiveness of the UN General Assembly’s 2022 mechanism requiring discussions whenever a Security Council veto is exercised.
Harish warned that veto powers should not serve narrow political interests at the expense of international peace and security.
India Calls for Broader UN Security Council Reforms
The ambassador highlighted the problem of informal vetoes, where individual Council members can block statements and sanctions committee decisions through consensus procedures.
India maintained that restricting veto powers cannot be considered separately from wider reforms involving membership, regional representation and decision-making procedures.
New Delhi has consistently advocated permanent representation for emerging economies and developing regions, arguing that the Council must reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
