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Amy Sood

India has renewed its long-standing bid for a permanent position in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as it seeks to represent the Global South, but resistance from China is expected to continue to present a significant hurdle.
For decades, India has been pushing for a seat at the table with the UNSC’s five permanent members, also known as the P5 – United Kingdom, China, France, Russia and the United States.
The council – which held its first session in 1946 – represents the victor nations of World War II and is responsible for maintaining international peace and security among the UN’s 193 member states.
China, the only Asian member of the council, has remained outwardly opposed to admitting India to the exclusive group.

In his address at the United Nations General Assembly last Saturday, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called for a “more representative” UN.
“Large parts of the world cannot be left behind when it comes to deciding the key issues of our times,” he said, reflecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s previous critique of the current council’s skewed representation.
In July last year, Modi said: “How can we talk of it as a primary organ of a global body, when entire continents of Africa and Latin America are ignored? How can it claim to speak for the world when its most populous country, and its largest democracy, is not a permanent member?”
Last week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron publicly endorsed India’s bid to join the council. And during a visit by Modi to the US last month, US President Joe Biden said Washington recognised a need to reform global institutions to “reflect India’s important voice”.
Russia has also backed India’s effort, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov saying in July that his country was in support of India getting a permanent seat on the council.
However, analysts caution that India’s chances of joining the UNSC remain slim due to its escalating tensions with China, stemming from a territorial dispute in the Himalayas and ongoing competition for regional influence.
“China is the only Asian power in the UNSC, so it definitely would not want a big competitor like India there,” said Dhananjay Tripathi, an associate professor in the Department of International Relations at South Asian University in New Delhi.
Beijing would like to maintain its position as the only Asian country with a permanent seat on the council, he added, noting it was unlikely that there would be any “fundamental changes” in its relations with India that would change this view.

Veto power
The five permanent members of the council have veto power to single-handedly block any UN resolutions. China has previously used this blocking power in support of Pakistan over the Kashmir conflict with India.
Analysts say this presents a challenge for India, which aims to assert itself as a leading global power, maintain influence in the Asia-Pacific, and position itself as a champion of the Global South.
“India has wanted to play a certain role in world politics that at times can get curtailed because it’s not a part of the UNSC’s permanent membership,” Tripathi said. “On some issues, India feels that it has to be on the high table to defend its interest in world politics.”
For China, the issue also lies in its perception that India is growing closer to the West and, more specifically, the US, according to Srikanth Kondapalli, dean of the School of International Studies and a professor of China studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in India.
“If India joins the Security Council with veto power, there may be concerns it may not side with China on certain issues,” he said. “As of now, the five countries don’t have to accommodate any other countries when it comes to a vote.”
Tripathi said more clarity was needed from the other permanent members on whether they supported India’s bid to join the UNSC with or without veto powers.
“If India joins without the veto power, it may not be able to play a vital, critical or relevant role in the UNSC,” he added.


Alongside India, the other members of the “Group of Four” countries – Germany, Japan and Brazil – have also sought permanent seats on the UN body.
While China has said it supports reforms to give developing nations “a greater say”, it has stopped short of providing specific proposals or naming countries.
Last year, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said reform should “increase the representation and voice of developing countries, allowing more small and medium-sized countries to have more opportunities to participate in the decision-making of the council”.
Analysts suggest that another factor fuelling China’s resistance to India’s membership is that both countries see themselves as champions of the Global South, competing for greater influence in the region.
Kondapalli said while the “China factor is unlikely to go away”, India could strengthen its bid by further aligning itself with countries in the Global South.
“But China could be a spoiler in this by convincing some countries not to align with India,” he said. “It very much depends on India’s ability to convince these countries.”
Tripathi concurred, saying that greater support from Global South countries would also allow India to “put more pressure” on the current council members for more immediate reform.
“There is a closer eye on India now more than ever as a growing economic power … how India engages with its neighbours, whether it is playing a constructive role in the issues that are critical to the region will all be very important,” he said.


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India’s chances remain poor due to tensions with China, but more support from Global South nations could boost its bid, analysts say


India’s chances remain poor due to tensions with China, but more support from Global South nations could boost its bid, analysts say.
