India was on Wednesday elected unopposed to the United Nations Security Council as a non-permanent member for a two-year term beginning in 2021. India, which was the only candidate aiming for the Asia-Pacific seat in the 15-member UNSC, secured 184 of the 192 votes in a crucial election.
“We have received overwhelming support and are deeply humbled by the tremendous confidence that the member states of the United Nations have reposed in India,” India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations TS Tirmurti said in a video message after the vote. “India will become a member of the UN Security Council at a critical juncture and we are confident that in the Covid and post-Covid world, India will continue to provide leadership and a new orientation for a reformed multilateral system.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was deeply grateful to member nations for extending their support to India. “India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity,” he tweeted.
Fifty-five countries from the Asia-Pacific region had unanimously endorsed India’s candidature in June last year. Previously, India had been elected as a non-permanent member of the UNSC in 1950, 1967, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1991 and 2011.
Along with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway also secured a victory in the elections. Mexico has been appointed as a non-permanent member from the Latin America and Caribbean seat while Norway and Ireland won from Western European and others group. Canada was also a contestant from the group. Voting for the Africa group – for which Kenya and Djibouti are competing – will take place on Thursday.
The UN Security Council has five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Ten non-permanent members are elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years. There are five seats for African and Asian countries, one for Eastern European countries, two for Latin America and the Caribbean and two for Western Europe and other countries.
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