India as Non-permanent Member of the UNSC

• India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the term 2021-22 after winning 184 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. Along with India, Ireland, Mexico and Norway also won the Security Council elections.

‘Non-permanent seats’ at the UNSC:

• The UNSC is composed of 15 members: five permanent members — China, France, Russian Federation, the United States, and the United Kingdom — and 10 non-permanent members who are elected by the General Assembly.

• The non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms — so every year, the General Assembly elects five non-permanent members out of the total 10.

• These 10 seats are distributed among the regions of the world: five seats for African and Asian countries; one for Eastern European countries; two for Latin American and Caribbean countries; and two for Western European and Other Countries.

• Of the five seats for Africa and Asia, three are for Africa and two for Asia. Also, there is an informal understanding between the two groups to reserve one seat for an Arab country. The Africa and Asia Pacific group takes turns every two years to put up an Arab candidate.

India and UNSC:

• India was a candidate for a non-permanent seat from the Asia-Pacific category for the 2021-22 term.

• India’s overall objective during the fresh tenure in the UN Security Council will be the achievement of O.R.M.S. which stands for New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System.

• This is the eighth time that India will sit at the UN high-table. India has earlier been a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 1950-51, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2011-12. For the 2011-12 term, India won 187 of 190 votes after Kazakhstan stood down from its candidacy.