'Let’s Make The UN More Efficient': France's Macron Backs India's Bid For Permanent Security Council Seat

Delivering his address at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Wednesday, French President Emmanuel Macron voiced strong support for India’s inclusion in a reformed UN Security Council (UNSC).

Speaking at the General Assembly in New York, Macron also supported the candidacy of Brazil, Germany, Japan, and two countries from Africa. “Let’s make the UN more efficient. We need to make it more representative and that’s why France is in favour of the Security Council being expanded,” he said. “Germany, Japan, India, and Brazil should be permanent members, along with two countries that Africa will decide to represent them,” he added.

Macron’s support comes just days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi advocated for reformed multilateral forums. On Monday, PM Modi at the UN stage stressed that the future relevance of UN agencies hinges on how swiftly they can implement reforms, implicitly referencing India’s bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council. The long pending UNSC reform continues to be a big talking point.

On Sunday, Quad leaders called for urgent reforms to the UNSC to make it more representative and called for its expansion to include representation from more countries. After the leaders’ summit in President Joe Biden’s hometown, Quad leaders called for expanded permanent membership to include representation from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

“We will reform the UN Security Council, recognizing the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UN Security Council,” the joint statement read.