NEW DELHI: India on Monday officially launched its campaign for election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term, with external affairs minister S Jaishankar highlighting the country’s peacekeeping record, development partnerships and commitment to a rules-based global order.Launching the candidature at the UN headquarters in New York, Jaishankar said India’s bid comes at a time when the world is facing rising conflicts, violence and instability, making the role of the United Nations and the Security Council more important than ever.“It’s a pleasure to join you today afternoon to launch India’s candidature to serve as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the term 2028-29. We do so at a time when the world is facing a profound paradox,” Jaishankar said.“At the same time, we are witnessing levels of conflict, violence and instability that threaten even those who may be very far away,” he added.
India presents SHANTI vision for UNSC campaign
Outlining India’s approach to global governance, Jaishankar introduced the country’s SHANTI vision — Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity — as the guiding principle for its UNSC campaign.He said global peace, progress and prosperity cannot be achieved in isolation and require respect for international norms and greater trust among nations.“Recent developments have only demonstrated that peace, progress and prosperity cannot be sustained in a fragmented manner,” Jaishankar said.“The world must therefore focus on holistic advancement… That journey can only be undertaken effectively when global order is valued and rules are respected. This puts a premium on norms, on trust and integrity. That is the approach that India offers: ‘Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity’. That is SHANTI as an acronym,” he added.Jaishankar said India’s priorities would include building a secure and equitable world, ensuring that the voice of the Global South is heard, strengthening peacekeeping operations, promoting responsible use of technology and addressing challenges such as terrorism, climate change and maritime security.“India’s focus will be on working for a secure, peaceful, and equitable world — a world where the voice of the Global South is heard in equal measure,” Jaishankar said.
India’s peacekeeping record, Global South outreach
Making a case for India’s candidature, Jaishankar pointed to the country’s long-standing contribution to UN peacekeeping missions.“Peacekeeping has been a crucial element of maintenance of international peace and security since the very inception of the United Nations. India has always been in the forefront of discharging that responsibility,” he said.India has deployed nearly 300,000 personnel across about 50 UN peacekeeping missions since the organisation’s establishment, Jaishankar said. At present, around 4,300 Indian personnel are serving across 10 of the 11 active UN peacekeeping missions.He said India would continue advocating for better-equipped, technology-driven and realistically mandated peacekeeping operations while supporting the Women, Peace and Security agenda.Beyond peacekeeping, Jaishankar highlighted India’s role as a development partner, noting that Indian-funded projects are currently being implemented in 79 countries.“In a world with too many conflicts and tensions, India has consistently espoused dialogue and diplomacy. We have sought to bridge differences and find common ground. Our focus has been on mitigating the impact of these developments for the Global South,” he said.
Seeks support amid changing global landscape
If elected, India would become one of the 10 rotating non-permanent members of the UNSC, serving alongside the five permanent members — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.Non-permanent members are elected by the 193-member UN General Assembly and require a two-thirds majority vote.India and Tajikistan will compete for the single Asia-Pacific Group seat in the 2028-29 term, with elections scheduled for June next year.Seeking support for its candidature, Jaishankar said India’s presence at the Security Council would help strengthen decision-making through wider consultations and greater representation.“We believe that India’s presence in the Security Council will help strengthen decision-making in this vital body. We therefore seek your support for our candidacy,” he said.India has previously served as a non-permanent member of the Security Council eight times — in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12 and 2021-22.The latest campaign also comes as India continues to push for wider reforms of the UNSC, arguing that the current structure, created in 1945, does not reflect today’s geopolitical realities.New Delhi has repeatedly called for expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership and has maintained that meaningful UNSC reform cannot happen without addressing the existing imbalance in decision-making power.