MORRIS COUNTY — As part of an ongoing effort to strengthen ties with the New Jersey’s Indian community and in recognition of India’s longstanding global peace initiatives, Senator Joe Pennacchio (R-26) has introduced legislation urging the United Nations to seat India as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.
“As the largest democracy in the world, India has proven to be a worthy partner in our efforts to maintain peace and security throughout the globe. The United Nations Security Council was established with this noble goal in mind. It’s time for the Council to recognize what the U.S. has long held to be true: that India is one of our strongest allies in that fight,” Senator Pennacchio said. “We have reaped the rewards of this international friendship in New Jersey, where more and more Indian-Americans continue to grow and prosper in the land they now call home.
“I urge the UN Security Council to honor this bond of friendship, by immediately instating India as a permanent member of the council. We cannot continue to take their military and economic contributions for granted. India is certainly deserving of a seat at the table.”
The United Nations Security Council is currently composed of 15 members. The five permanent members include: China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States. There are also 10 non-permanent members, with nonconsecutive two-year terms, that are elected on a regional basis.
Although India has been a member of the United Nations since the UN’s inception in 1945, India has only served as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for seven terms. This is despite the fact that nation has been a strong participant in many multilateral international and regional organizations, such as the G20 Summit and the World Trade Organization.
With more than 1. 3 billion citizens, India represents one-sixth of the global population. India has the second largest military and the second largest labor force. They are also one of the fastest-growing major economies worldwide.
The Trump Administration expressed its support of making India a permanent member of the UN SEC as recently as last September.
Senator Pennacchio’s resolution, SR-114, is also sponsored by fellow Senate Republican, Senator Sam Thompson (R-12), a longtime advocate for Indian-Americans in New Jersey.
“The New York-New Jersey metro area is home to the largest concentration of Indians in the United States, making our State Legislature an appropriate advocate for granting India a seat on the UN Security Council,” Senator Thompson noted. “The nuclear challenges we are facing from abroad, and the tenuous circumstances in the Middle East, mandate that the United States maintain strong, strategic partnerships with allies that are loyal and committed to our cause. We cannot continue to address these challenges on a united, global scale without establishing India as a permanent member of the Security Council. For the sake of our world and the health and welfare of future generations, I hope that the U.N. heeds our call to action immediately.”
The resolution has also received the support of the Consul General of India.
“As an organization, the United Nations must evolve and adapt itself to a rapidly changing environment and to serve better the needs of the world community,” Sandeep Chakravorty, Consul General of India, said. “It is India’s belief that no reform of the United Nations is complete without the composition of the Security Council changing to reflect contemporary realities of the 21st century. This requires expansion in the membership of the Security Council in both the permanent and non – permanent categories. By any objective criteria, such as population, territorial size, GDP, economic potential, civilizational legacy, cultural diversity, political system and past and ongoing contributions to the activities of the UN — especially to UN peacekeeping operations — India is eminently qualified for permanent membership. India has affirmed its willingness and capacity to shoulder the responsibilities of permanent membership.”
