Speaking at the New York General Assembly, Macron backed the candidacies of Brazil, Germany, Japan, and two African nations.

India’s inclusion in a reformed UN Security Council (UNSC) is something that French President Emmanuel Macron strongly supports, voicing his support during his speech to the UNGA on Wednesday.

During his speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, Macron endorsed the candidacies of Brazil, Germany, Japan, and two African nations. “Let’s improve the UN’s effectiveness. France supports the expansion of the Security Council because we need to make it more representative,” he stated. He went on, “Germany, Japan, India, Brazil, and two countries that Africa will choose to represent them should be permanent members.”

The United States, China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom are the only five nations with permanent membership and veto power on the UNSC. Numerous countries, including the US and other permanent members of the UNSC, have voiced support for India’s admission to this influential group. China, though, has consistently objected to the idea.

India persisted in its efforts to advance UNSC reforms in the interim, particularly by actively participating in the ongoing Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the Security Council reform. As a member of the G4, which also consists of Brazil, Germany, and Japan, New Delhi has pushed for the inclusion of more countries as permanent members of the UNSC in order to better reflect the geopolitical landscape of today.

Macron’s endorsement follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent UN speech advocating for reformed multilateral forums. Prime Minister Modi emphasized on Monday that UN agencies’ continued relevance depends on how quickly they can undergo reform, alluding to India’s application for a permanent seat on the Security Council. The long-awaited UNSC reform is still a hot topic of discussion.
The Quad leaders demanded on Sunday that the UNSC be expanded to include more nations’ representation and that it be urgently reformed to become more representative. The Quad leaders demanded increased permanent membership to include representation from Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean following their summit in President Joe Biden’s hometown.