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Asia-Pacific Group Supports India’s UNSC Non-permanent Membership

  • 27 Jun 2019

India was unanimously supported by the Asia-Pacific group for its candidature of UN Security Council’s (UNSC) non-permanent membership.

Relevance of the News: It highlights India’s acceptability as a responsible representative of Asia-Pacific region among the group members. It gives a fillip to India’s ambitions of becoming and its receptivity as a global leader.

India’s Support from the Asia-Pacific Group:

  • All countries in the 55-member Asia-Pacific Group have unanimously supported India at the United Nations in support of its bid for a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term in 2021-22.
  • India also received the support of Pakistan and China with whom it had been experiencing diplomatic challenges at the UN.
  • The Asia-Pacific Group had to nominate one of its members for the June 2020 elections to a non-permanent seat on the UNSC.
  • Afghanistan was a potential contender of India in the group but it withdrew its nomination in 2013 to support India because of its long-standing, close and friendly relations with India.
  • India has already held a non-permanent seat on the UNSC for seven terms with the last one expiring in 2012.

Future Course for India:

Having received the support of Asia-Pacific group, India now needs the vote of two-thirds of the 193 UN General Assembly members to win the non-permanent seat on the UNSC for which the elections would be held next year.

UNSC Non-permanent Membership:

  • The UNSC is composed of 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent members.
  • Each year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members (out of ten in total) for a two-year term.
  • Article 23 of the UN Charter contains the provisions related to the composition of the Security Council.
  • Rule 142-144 of the Rules of Procedure of the General Assembly concerns the Security Council elections.
  • The ten non-permanent seats are distributed on a regional basis:
  • o5 for African and Asian countries;
  • o1 for Eastern European countries;
  • o2 for Latin American and Caribbean countries;
  • o2 for Western European and other countries.