PERMANENT SEAT FOR INDIA

The Security Council has primary responsibility, under the United Nations Charter, for the maintenance of international peace and security. It is so organized as to be able to function continuously, and a representative of each of its members must be present at all times at United Nations Headquarters. On 31 January 1992, the first ever Summit Meeting of the Council was convened at Headquarters, attended by Heads of State and Government of 13 of its 15 members and by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the remaining two. The Council may meet elsewhere than at Headquarters; in 1972, it held a session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and the following year in Panama City, Panama.
When a complaint concerning a threat to peace is brought before it, the Council's first action is usually to recommend to the parties to try to reach agreement by peaceful means. In some cases, the Council itself undertakes investigation and mediation. It may appoint special representatives or request the Secretary-General to do so or to use his good offices. It may set forth principles for a peaceful settlement.
When a dispute leads to fighting, the Council's first concern is to bring it to an end as soon as possible. On many occasions, the Council has issued cease-fire directives which have been instrumental in preventing wider hostilities. It also sends United Nations peace-keeping forces to help reduce tensions in troubled areas, keep opposing forces apart and create conditions of calm in which peaceful settlements may be sought. The Council may decide on enforcement measures, economic sanctions (such as trade embargoes) or collective military action.
A Member State against which preventive or enforcement action has been taken by the Security Council may be suspended from the exercise of the rights and privileges of membership by the General Assembly on the recommendation of the Security Council. A Member State which has persistently violated the principles of the Charter may be expelled from the United Nations by the Assembly on the Council's recommendation.
A State which is a Member of the United Nations but not of the Security Council may participate, without a vote, in its discussions when the Council considers that that country's interests are affected. Both Members of the United Nations and non-members, if they are parties to a dispute being considered by the Council, are invited to take part, without a vote, in the Council's discussions; the Council sets the conditions for participation by a non-member State.
The presidency of the Council rotates monthly, according to the English alphabetical listing of its member States. The Council has 15 members, five permanent members and 10 elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms.

Article 19. United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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Article 19. Nations-Unies, Déclaration universelle des Droits de l'Homme
Tout individu a droit à la liberté d'opinion et d'expression, ce qui implique le droit de ne pas être inquiété pour ses opinions et celui de chercher, de recevoir et de répandre, sans considérations de frontières, les informations et les idées par quelque moyen d'expression que ce soit.

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EUROPEAN MP CALLS FOR UNSC PERMANENT SEAT FOR INDIA

New York, September 29, 2003

At a felicitation and dinner organised by the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) in New York, European Member of Parliament (MP) Nirj Deva said that India, as the largest democracy and an emerging economic power, should be elevated to be a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and the next UN Secretary General should be from Asia. Deva was in New York representing the European Parliament at the UN General Assembly session. Speaking on the subject "South Asian Communities, World Trade and Global Stability", Deva said the South Asian communities are making an impact in the Western countries, such as UK, USA, Netherlands and Canada. However, the community has to be more politically involved. Deva cited the success of the Jewish community in political process in UK, where the community at one time had 80 MPs for a population of 250,000 people. "We need political representation commensurate with our economic success. If we do not have appropriate representation, our communities could end up with situations similar to what happened in Uganda in early 1970s," said Deva. Born in Sri Lanka, Deva has been an aeronautical engineer, scientist and a company chairman and director. Elected to UK Parliament representing Brentford and Isleworth in 1992, Deva served as Parliamentary private secretary to Minister of State, Scottish Office. Currently, Deva is a Conservative Member of European Parliament representing South East of England since 1999 (eight million voters). "The top 200 transnational companies (TNCs) combined have turnovers twice the size of combined gross national products (GNPs) of 80 per cent of the world's population and larger than the combined GNP of 182 countries. Therefore, the TNCs have to play a role in world's development," Deva added. Further on the United Nations, Deva said there should be an Economic Security Council and a Petitions Committee to hear citizens' rights. During the question/answer session, on a question on the justification of Iraq war, Deva said, we could be more comfortable now since no more atrocities are done to Iraqi people and that they would have a chance to elect their own representative government. The program ended with GOPIO inducting Deva as an honorary member. Indiainfo

United Nations, September 24, 2003

France on September 23 backed India's candidature as a permanent member of the UN Security Council. "I cannot imagine an expanded Council without India becoming a permanent member," said French President Jacques Chirac when asked by reporters whether he would support India to be a permanent member in case the Council is expanded. Earlier in his address to the UN General Assembly, Chirac had made a strong plea for expansion of the Security Council. PTI

New Delhi, May 19, 2003

Djibouti today supported India's candidature for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council and asked Pakistan to resolve all its differences with New Delhi through bilateral talks under the Shimla Agreement and the Lahore Declaration. Pakistan must stop cross-border terrorism and dismantle the terrorist infrastructure to create an appropriate atmosphere for a sustained dialogue with India, Djibouti said in a joint statement signed with India after Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh's talks with Indian leaders here. Mr Guelleh, who is here on a six-day state visit, was this morning accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, followed by his talks with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and other Indian leaders. The two countries also signed three accords--bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement; civil aviation agreement; and an executive programme of cultural, educational and scientific cooperation. The joint statement said India extended an EXIM Bank line of credit of ten millon US Dollars to Djibouti to contribute to its economic development. India also agreed to enhance the number of training vacancies under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme. India will also provide assistance in kind worth one million US Dollars to meet humanitarian requirements arising from the drought in Djibouti. Both sides affirmed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and stressed the need for the United Nations playing an important role in the reconstruction of the war-torn country. UNI

Washington, March 05, 2003

The US India Political Action Committee (USINPAC) urges you to support US Representative Frank Pallone's call for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for India. US legislators and media are realizing the legitimacy, and strength, of India's claim to a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, as evidenced from following: Representative Pallone's legislation, introduced on February 27, 2003, allows the U.S. House of Representatives to go on record in supporting India's bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. Rep. Pallone stated, "I believe it is morally wrong to ignore the voice of over one billion Indian people in security decision-making that affects them, and the rest of the world. India's location, its large population, its history of participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations, and its leadership in the non-alignment movement all justify its bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. It is time for this Congress and the Bush Administration to recognize the importance India plays in the region and the world and support its bid for a permanent seat at the U.N. Security Council". On February 28, 2003, The Washington Post carried an Op-Ed piece by Charles Krauthammer, which argued for India's immediate inclusion in the Security Council On February 9, 2003, The New York Times carried an Op-Ed piece by Thomas L Friedman, which strongly argued for India's immediate inclusion in the Security Council USINPAC has launched a national campaign to petition Congress to support Rep. Pallone's legislation. We need your support now! To help USINPAC garner support for friends in Congress for this legislation, please sign an online petition at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/USINPAC/petition.html USINPAC will pass the signed petitions to the members of the US Congress to support Rep. Pallone's legislation. And never forget, your voice matters!! IT DEFINITELY WILL MATTER!! Please inform your friends about this petition. NRIONLINE

Cyprus today came out in strong support of India's permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council as the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, and the Cypriot President, Glafcos Clerides, held a productive round of bilateral talks today. India, Mr. Clerides said in a statement with Mr. Vajpayee at a press interaction, had always been a ``strong and steady'' supporter of Cyprus's national cause — a reference to the Turkish ``occupation'' of 37 per cent of Cypriot territory in 1974. Five agreements — in the areas of information technology and services, science and technology, cultural, educational and scientific cooperation, posts and telegraphs and public health and medical sciences — were signed in the presence of the two leaders. After the discussions, Mr. Vajpayee said: ``.... India and Cyprus have historically enjoyed relations of deep-rooted friendship. We share a commitment to democracy and pluralism and a congruence of outlook on major regional and international issues.'' ``India considers Cyprus a time-tested and valuable ally. We appreciate the consistent support that we have received from Cyprus on issues of vital concern to us, including its support for India's permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council. Cyprus also shares entirely our perspectives on countering terrorism.'' ``The President and I have had fruitful discussions on carrying forward our bilateral relationship, exploiting the opportunities provided by globalisation and new technologies. The five agreements which we have just signed indicate some of the thrust areas for future cooperation,'' Mr. Vajpayee said. (...) The Hindu

Taipei, September 04, 2002

Taiwan, viewed as a rebel province by China, is keen to improve relations with India and supports New Delhi's desire to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the island's Foreign Minister Eugene Chien said here today. "India is qualified and competent to be a permanent member of the Security Council and deserves to be supported by UN members," Chien said. Interestingly, India played a leading role in getting China into the United Nations in 1971 which resulted in Taiwan losing its membership in the world body. Now, China, one of the five permanent members of the Security Council, says it supports the expansion of the Council but has not taken a decision on backing the candidature of any country, including India. Describing India as one of the most important countries in Asia, Chien said New Delhi had an "indispensable role" to play in promoting peace, stability, especially in South Asia. "Though the influence of non-alignment movement had diminished, India is still a leader of third world countries," Chien told PTI in an extensive interview covering topics like India-Taiwan trade ties, three-way relations between Beijing-Taipei and Washington and the vexed Taiwan issue. Like most other countries, India has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, as China does not allow countries that have diplomatic ties with it to have any official contacts with Taipei. PTI

London, August 23, 2002

Britain on Thursday backed India's candidature for permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council. At a press conference in London at the end of his three-day official visit to the United Kingdom, Deputy Prime Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani conveyed India's appreciation for Britain's support. He said that during his meeting with British Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, both sides reiterated their commitment to implementation of the New Delhi Declaration, signed by Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Atal Bihari Vajpayee in New Delhi earlier this year. Both sides noted with satisfaction the significant increase in bilateral trade, Advani said. Prescott will visit India next month, he said. PTI

New Delhi, April 19, 2002

India is a "natural contender" for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, the British High Commissioner to India, Sir Rob Young, said on Friday. Delivering a lecture at the National Defence College in New Delhi, he said an active and engaged UN has profound implications for the way countries conduct their foreign and security policies. "India is a natural contender for a permanent seat on the Security Council," he said. Sir Rob described Indo-British relations as "strong, confident and dynamic". The New Delhi Declaration signed during the recent visit of British Premier Tony Blair encapsulates the spirit of partnership that characterises relations between the two countries, he said. PTI

New York, March 12, 2002

India has called for expansion of the United Nations Security Council to stop its present "unrepresentative and anachronistic" character from obstructing its efforts to tackle threat to international peace and security in the long run. Indian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN A Gopinathan said “it is imperative that its reforms be given the highest priority.” Stressing that giving developing countries the status of permanent members is essential to give the Council a more representative character, he called for "collective endeavour" to move the process of reforming the Council, including its expansion, at a faster pace. As the Council acts mostly on situations in developing countries, the "expansion of the Council to include new permanent and non-permanent members is essential," he said, participating in the first debate of the season in the open ended working group on Council reforms on Monday, with France strongly supporting permanent seat for India. Referring to India’s “substantial” participation in peacekeeping operations, Gopinathan said there was need for enhanced cooperation between the troops contributing countries, the Council which set the mandates and the Secretariat which draw up the plans. "A spirit of cooperation and partnership must imbue this triangular relationship if UN peacekeeping is to be put on a firmer footing,” he added. Indolink

New Delhi, December 01, 2001

Vietnam today reiterated its open support to India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council even as New Delhi and Hanoi identified five new areas for bilateral economic cooperation. The two sides identified information technology, human resource development, science and technology, energy and pharmaceuticals as new thrust areas for deepening and intensifying bilateral economic relations during 75-minute long meeting between the visiting Vietnamese President, Mr Tran Duc Loung, and the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee. Briefing newspersons about the talks, a spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs said that the Prime Minister welcomed the Vietnam’s open support for country’s candidature for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. The two countries also signed four agreements which include Rs 600 million credit to Hanoi on concessional terms and setting up of two software development and training centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh city. The newly set up Ministry of Information Technology would coordinate the establishment of the software centres which would train software management, help set up professional training centres and offer assistance to Vietnamese companies operating in the field. An online credit of Rs 47 million, offered to Vietnam in February this year, would be utilised for the purpose. The two countries agreed to exchange instruments of ratification of the bilateral investment promotion and protection agreement which was signed during the visit of the Vietnamese premier to India in 1997. Another agreement between the foreign service institutes of the two countries which was concluded today envisages exchange of students, professors, experts and research scholars. (...) The Tribune

New Delhi, February 20, 2001

Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus, currently on a four day visit to India, told reporters in New Delhi on Tuesday that he fully supported India's demand for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. Adamkus, who was accompanied by his wife Alma Adamkiene, was responding to queries after his ceremonial reception in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhawan. He described his four-day visit to India as very 'enthusiastic' and said that he hoped this visit would strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. Valdus was received by President KR Narayanan at a brief ceremony attended By Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee, external affairs minister Jaswant Singh and home minister LK Advani and senior diplomats and officials. During his stay in India, Adamkus will hold wide-ranging discussions with Vajpayee and Jaswant Singh and have interaction with important personalities of Indian industry. Netguruindia

Paris, February 03, 2001

France has promised to take ''initiative'' in seeking India's inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council even as the two countries shared a ''better understanding'' of the ''implications'' of the controversial National Missile Defence (NMD) programme. The French President, Mr. Jacques Chirac, reiterated France's unequivocal support for India's permanent membership as and when the U.N. reforms took place and went a step further in pledging to take initiative in the matter. This position was outlined when the National Security Adviser, Mr. Brajesh Mishra, called on Mr. Chirac here on the sidelines of the sixth round of the strategic dialogue between India and France which ended here on Thursday. Mr. Mishra told newsmen at the end of the two-day talks that the Indo-French strategic dialogue, initiated in 1998, had brought about a ''broadening and continuing'' cooperation in economic, defence and commercial fields as well as in foreign office matters. PTI