Time has come for making India a permanent UNSC member: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday urged the international community to make UNSC more reflective of the demographic realities of the world and make India a permanent member, adding that time has come for making the UN bodies more democratic and representative of the current realities of our age.

He said this while addressing a special commemorative seminar organised by the Indian Army to celebrate 75 years of UN Peacekeeping here on Tuesday. The Defence Minister also said the conflicts have a ripple effect as was being felt in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“When there is a conflict, it is harmful to the directly involved actors. Moreover, it has negative externalities for those involved indirectly. There is a plethora of negative externalities that have emanated out of the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict. It has led to food crisis in various African and Asian countries and has fuelled an energy crisis in the world,” the Defence Minister said.

The Defence Minister said that the conflict at a particular place or region creates ripple effects which adversely impact the whole world. So, the rest of the world becomes a stakeholder in resolving the conflict and restoring peace. This is because peace has positive externality. When conflicting parties restore peace, they benefit in terms of human lives saved, higher economic growth achieved, etc. The rest of the world also benefits as peace fosters stability and encourages economic growth.

Singh added that the positive externality of peace and negative externality of war drives the UN, along with the responsible nations, to act towards resolving any conflict. This action is manifested in terms of deployment of UN peacekeeping missions in conflict zones, he said.

Rajnath Singh has called for innovative approaches and enhanced cooperation among responsible nations to ensure the safety and effectiveness of United Nations (UN) peacekeepers who are deployed in violence-hit regions to maintain stability, prevent conflicts and facilitate the restoration of peace.

Singh highlighted the fast-evolving challenges being faced by the peacekeepers today and stressed on the need to invest more in training, technology and resources for their safety and productivity. He also advocated for the meaningful participation of women in peacekeeping operations, emphasising that their unique contribution during missions in conflict-affected areas must be recognised.

He reiterated the necessity to make the UN decision-making bodies, including the Security Council (UNSC), more reflective of the demographic realities of the world. “When India, the most populous nation, does not find a seat as a permanent member of the UNSC, it tends to undermine the moral legitimacy of the UN. Therefore, the time has come for making the UN bodies more democratic and representative of the current realities of our age,” he said.

Rajnath Singh commended the role of UN peacekeeping operations and explained the enthusiastic global support for such missions through the economic concept of ‘externalities’.