India formally launches campaign for 2028-29 UN Security Council seat

Presenting itself as a voice for the Global South, India on Monday formally launched its campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar unveiled the campaign, branded "SHANTI: India for the United Nations Security Council 2028-29 – Norms, Trust, Integrity," at an event at UN headquarters attended by diplomats and UN officials.

India said its vision for the Security Council is rooted in "Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust, Integrity" and outlined priorities including representing the Global South, advancing reform of multilateral institutions, strengthening peacekeeping, tackling the misuse of artificial intelligence, securing maritime commons and countering terror financing.

Elections for the 2028-29 term will be held in June next year, when India will compete with Tajikistan for the lone Asia-Pacific seat on the 15-member council.

Addressing the event, Jaishankar said maritime security had become increasingly important as global supply chains underpin international trade.

He said the challenge begins with ensuring adherence to relevant international law, specifically the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

“Our collective interest is in maintaining safe and unimpeded flow of maritime commerce,” he said, adding that nations with requisite capabilities must also cooperate to combat piracy.

He also pointed to the safety of seafarers amid tensions in West Asia and said India would work to ensure maritime security issues receive greater attention in the Security Council.

Jaishankar said Indian naval forces were contributing to anti-piracy, counter-narcotics and anti-trafficking operations while protecting sea lanes across the Indo-Pacific, including the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Malacca Strait and Gulf of Guinea.

India’s focus on securing maritime commons comes amid challenges unleashed by the US-Israel war against Iran, with closures and blockades of the critical chokepoint Strait of Hormuz adversely impacting global fuel prices, critical supply chains and endangering the lives of seafarers.

Amid the West Asia conflict, 11 Indian nationals have lost their lives, and several seafarers have been rescued as ships and tankers have come under attack in the conflict.

On the sidelines of the event, Jaishankar met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, with the two discussing conflicts in West Asia, Ukraine and Sudan as well as cooperation between India and the United Nations.

India last served as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2021-22, its eighth term on the body.

The campaign comes as New Delhi continues to press for a permanent seat on the council, arguing that the UN's most powerful organ no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week reiterated India's position, saying reforms of the Security Council "can no longer be delayed" as developing countries seek a greater role in global governance.

India has long argued that expanding only the council's non-permanent membership would leave the decision-making power of the five permanent members unchanged and fail to address structural inequities in the institution.

The Security Council election will take place against a backdrop of multiple global crises, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran.