New York, Sep 26: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, along with his counterparts from Brazil, Japan, and Germany, reaffirmed their commitment to United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms during a G4 ministerial meeting held on Thursday.
In a post on X after the meeting, Jaishankar said, “The G4 reiterated its commitment to reforming the United Nations, including the UN Security Council. It also assessed the current state of the Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) process.” The meeting was attended by Brazil’s Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, Japan’s Takeshi Iwaya, and Germany’s Johann Wadephul.
The G4 has long campaigned for an expanded and more representative Security Council, with permanent membership for its members. However, the IGN process — which began in 2009 — has seen little progress, largely due to resistance from a small group of countries blocking the adoption of a negotiating text, considered vital for structured discussions.
Last month, the UN General Assembly once again rolled over the negotiations to its new session, repeating a familiar pattern of inconclusive outcomes. Yet, there were faint signs of progress: the IGN cochairs circulated a revised “Elements Paper” recording member states’ positions, marking a step forward in maintaining continuity of talks.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed cautious optimism. At a recent press conference, he noted, “Before, there was a committee that couldn’t even issue papers. Now there is a committee working seriously. So I see movement.”
Reforming the Security Council remains a top diplomatic priority for India as it seeks a permanent seat. On Wednesday, Jaishankar also convened a joint meeting of the L.69 group — 42 countries of the Global South — and the C-10, a coalition of 10 African nations, both pressing for urgent reforms.
