US reaffirms support for permanent UNSC seat for India

World leaders will be gathering in New York for the landmark Summit of the Future, which will be held on September 22–23

• Shajil Kumar
• 13 September, 2024

By: Shajil Kumar

THE US has reaffirmed its “longstanding support” for India, Japan and Germany to sit as permanent members in the United Nations Security Council, as it announced new proposals on reform of the powerful UN body.

Just days before world leaders gather in New York for the landmark Summit of the Future and UN General Assembly high-level week, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced on Thursday that Washington supports creating two permanent seats for Africa on the Council in addition to non-permanent membership for African countries.

The Summit of the Future will take place in New York City on September 22–23.

She also announced at the Council on Foreign Relations at a talk on ‘Future of Multilateralism and UN Reform’ that the US supports creating a new elected seat on the Security Council for Small Island Developing States and supports engaging in text-based negotiations.

In response to a question on Washington’s longstanding support for permanent seats for India, Germany, and Japan, she said, “On the G4, we have expressed our support for Japan and Germany and India. We have not explicitly expressed support for Brazil.”

The G4 nations, comprising Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan, are four countries which support each other’s bids for permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council.

“India has the largest population in the world, and we really, really strongly support their being on the Council. And I think there are just no grounds for denying India that, but there will be people who will be opposed to various countries for various reasons. And that’s all going to be part of our negotiation moving forward,” Thomas-Greenfield said.

Earlier, a senior administration official, briefing reporters on the US announcements, stressed that Washington was “not backing away at all” from its support to India, Japan and Germany for a permanent seat. (PTI)