India elected to UN Security Council as non permanent member

Modi Ji expresses his gratitude towards the Council

Thursday, 18th June 2020

PM Modi expressed his gratefulness on behalf of the country in response to India being elected to the UN Security Council unopposed as the Council’s non-permanent member. An election was held this Wednesday and India bagged for itself as many as 184 votes. In a Tweet, Modi ji said: "Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India's membership of the UN Security Council. India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity."

In another contextual Tweet from India's Permanent Mission to the UN, it was said: "Member States elect India to the non-permanent seat of the Security Council for the term 2021-22 with overwhelming support,"

India, Ireland, Norway and Mexico have been elected to the Council so far but still there’s a vacant position that needs to be filled. So, on Thursday the 193-membered General Assembly must return to vote for a member to that one vacant seat.

As India has been elected to the UN Security Council, India will function in its position in the UN body for next 2 years starting from January 1alongside other 5 permanent as well as non-permanent members.

Security Council is the UN Body that’s empowered to take legally binding measures and decisions such as authorizing the application of force and imposing of sanctions. The council has 5 permanent members empowered to wield the Veto power. Those permanent members are Britain, US, Russia, China and France. Also, the Council has non-permanent members (10 in total). India has recently won a seat in the Council as one of the non-permanent members. India had contested the election for the position from the category titled as ‘Asia-Pacific’. The country’s candidature was endorsed unanimously in the month of June 2019 by the 55-membered category that had Pakistan and China too.

In the past too India was elected to the Council as a non-permanent member. The years are 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92, 2011-12.

Source: NDTV