India announces candidacy for the 2028–29 UNSC term: EAM Jaishankar

United Nations: External Affairs S Jaishankar said on Thursday that India is looking forward to rejoining the UN Security Council as he announced the nation's candidature as a non-permanent member for the 2028–2029 term.

Before India's two-year term as an elected member of the 15-nation top organ of the international organisation comes to an end this month, Jaishankar arrived here on Tuesday to preside over two landmark events on counterterrorism and reformed multilateralism held under India's current UN Security Council Presidency.

"I'm glad to inform you that we have declared our candidature for our next tenure at the Council for 2028-29 and we look forward to being back," he said as India prepares to wrap up its 2021-22 tenure as elected Council member on December 31.

Addressing reporters at the UN Security Council stakeout after chairing the signature event on counterterrorism, Jaishankar said that December is the last month of India's current membership of the Security Council, the eighth time that India sat at the powerful horse-shoe table.

"During this eighth innings of ours, we have attempted to bring many themes of contemporary relevance like maritime security, technology in UN peacekeeping, reforms of the UN and counterterrorism to the centre of the agenda and of the debate in the UN," he said.

"We have also sought to be the voice of the global South on many issues of concern. We have tried to not only articulate their interests and anxieties but also tried to see whether we could serve as a bridging role in the Council," Jaishankar said, as he thanked his fellow members of the Security Council.

"It's been a pleasure working with them," he said.

The previous eight terms that India has been in the Council are 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992 and 2011-2012.

On December 1, India assumed the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council, the second time after August 2021 that India is presiding over the Council during its two-year tenure as elected UNSC member.

India, whose 2021-2022 term on the Council ends December 31, has been at the forefront of efforts calling for urgent reform of the Security Council, which has remained deeply divisive in dealing with current challenges.

India has asserted that the Council, in its current form, does not reflect today's geo-political realities and its credibility is at risk if nations such as developing powers like India do not have a permanent seat at the horse-shoe table.

With PTI inputs