“India’s expanding global role will naturally make it an important part of any future consideration of reform of the United Nations Security Council,” said William Burns, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs.
Speaking at a seminar prior to the start of this week’s United States-India Strategic Dialogue, Mr. Burns noted that reform of the UNSC, similar to other structures of the international architecture, was an issue that needed to be addressed so that it reflected the realities of 2010 rather than 1945.
He argued that in this context, the U.S. recognised India’s “increasing global role” and was “open to expansion of permanent membership of the Council”.
However Mr. Burns said that reform of the UNSC would have to be undertaken “in a way which is going to preserve the effectiveness of the Security Council”.
Further, in response to questions, Mr. Burns emphasised that “for countries like India… we need very much to consider how their increasing role in global affairs is matched by the responsibilities that they can discharge in the most important parts of the international architecture”.
He also noted that “the U.S. strongly supported the recent expansion in India’s World Bank voting share”, which occurred during the World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings held earlier this year.
