New York — The United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has stated that India, Japan, and Germany should be granted permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). Reaffirming the longstanding U.S. support for this expansion, she presented three proposals on Thursday related to reforms within the Security Council. The written format of her proposals has been uploaded to the UNSC website.
These remarks come ahead of the two-day United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) summit scheduled to begin on September 22, under the theme "Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow." The general debate is set to take place from September 24 to 30. Traditionally, Brazil will be the first speaker to open the high-level session on September 24, followed by the United States. Current U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to deliver his final address to world leaders from the UN platform during his term.
Initially, it was announced that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address the high-level debate on September 26. However, it has since been indicated that External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar may deliver India's statement during the general debate on September 28.
A few days prior to the arrival of these global leaders, Thomas-Greenfield emphasized that the U.S. also supports granting temporary Security Council membership to African countries and advocates for making two African nations permanent members.
Speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations program on "The Future of Multilateralism and United Nations Reforms," she announced U.S. support for creating a new seat on the Security Council for Small Island Developing States. "The G4 nations—Brazil, Germany, India, and Japan—mutually support each other's bids for permanent UNSC membership," she noted.
"India is the country with the largest population in the world. The United States strongly supports its inclusion in the Council. I believe there is no basis to deny India membership," Thomas-Greenfield stated. "However, some people will oppose various countries for different reasons. We will address these concerns in upcoming discussions."
She underscored the necessity for reform, stating, "It's clear we have a way forward. The time for reform has come. The Council needs to be strengthened." Quoting her late friend and mentor, Madeleine Albright, she added, "Like people over 70, institutions also need a little renovation."
Thomas-Greenfield recalled that two years ago, President Biden announced U.S. support for expanding the Security Council to provide permanent representation to African countries, as well as nations in Latin America and the Caribbean. "We are committed to supporting permanent seats for India, Japan, and Germany," she affirmed. "The time has come to turn the President's vision into reality."
