India on Monday officially launched its campaign for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar unveiling the country’s vision under the theme “SHANTI: Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity.”
The campaign was launched at a special event at the UN headquarters attended by ambassadors, diplomats and senior UN officials. India said its engagement with the United Nations would be guided by the principles of SHANTI, highlighting its commitment to peace, multilateralism and global cooperation.
India last served as a non-permanent member of the 15-nation Security Council during the 2021-22 term. Elections for the 2028-29 term are scheduled for June next year, when India will contest the Asia-Pacific seat against Tajikistan.
During his visit to New York, Jaishankar also met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. He arrived in the US after concluding visits to Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman, and will later travel to Brussels to attend the third India-European Union Trade and Technology Council meeting.
India’s UNSC campaign comes at a time of growing global instability, with ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and West Asia underscoring the need for a more representative and effective Security Council.
New Delhi has consistently argued that the current structure of the UNSC no longer reflects present-day geopolitical realities and has renewed its call for comprehensive reforms, including expansion of both permanent and non-permanent membership.
India has maintained that meaningful reform cannot be achieved by increasing only the number of non-permanent seats and continues to press for a permanent seat on a reformed Security Council.
