New York:
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for Security Council reforms and supported the appointment of India and Japan as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council. Speaking at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, Wong emphasized greater permanent and non-permanent representation for Africa, Latin America and Asia.
“For the UN Security Council’s contribution to African Union-led operations. Our commitment to peace and security is why Australia is seeking a seat on the Security Council for the year 2029-2030. And it is why we are pursuing Security Council reforms. We must ensure greater permanent and non-permanent representation for Africa, Latin America and Asia, including permanent seats for India and Japan. And we must demand more from permanent members, including restrictions on the use of veto power,” she said during her speech.
Earlier on Wednesday, Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa had also backed India and Brazil for permanent membership of a reformed Security Council.
“…The concept of security corresponds to a world that no longer exists. Portugal has defended countries like Brazil and India becoming permanent members. This decision must be taken. These countries cannot be ignored,” he said during his speech at the UNGA session.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had also endorsed India’s bid for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council at the G20 summit and said his country would be ‘proud’ to have a country like India become a full member would become the UN Security Council. the UN Security Council.
“We would be proud if a country like India became a permanent member of the UN Security Council. As you know, the world is bigger and bigger than five (permanent members). And when we say the world is bigger than five, what we mean is that it’s not just the US, Britain, France, China and Russia. We don’t want just these five countries in the Security Council,” he said on the closing day of the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi.
In particular, reforms in global systems are an issue that India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have consistently raised on the global stage.
Delivering his closing address at the G20 Leaders’ Summit here in the national capital, Prime Minister Modi reiterated his stance on bringing global systems in line with the “reality of the present” and took the example of the United Nations Security Council.
“When the UN was founded, the world was completely different then than it is today. At the time, there were 51 founding members of the UN. Today, the number of countries affiliated with the UN is around 200. Despite this, the permanent members in the UN Security Council are still the same,” he said.
The Prime Minister said a lot has changed in the world since then: whether it is transport, communications, healthcare or education, every sector has been transformed.
“This new reality should be reflected in our new global structure. It is a law of nature that individuals and organizations that fail to adapt to the changing times inevitably lose their relevance. We need to think with an open mind about what is the reason that many regional forums have emerged in recent years, which are also proving to be effective,” he further said.