India says UN reform delay 'at own peril'

United Nations, April 11 (IANS) India has reiterated that reform and expansion of the UN Security Council are essential if it is to reflect contemporary reality, warning any delay would be "at our own peril".

"Early reform of the council must be pursued with renewed vigour and urgently enacted," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said Tuesday at the eighth round of intergovernmental negotiations on the issue.

"India wants structural reform of the Security Council that responds to the pressing need for credible improvements in the global governance architecture," he said noting, "The clamour for such change is increasing by the day."

"In fact, even as we speak concrete developments are being witnessed in other international institutions such as the IMF (International Monetary Fund), World Bank etc," Puri said adding, "We delay reform of the Security Council at our own peril."

Earlier, making a joint statement on behalf of the G4, he said their meetings have clearly shown that the large majority of the membership wants expansion of the council in both the permanent and non-permanent categories.

"The UN Charter has been accepted as the lodestar for identifying the criteria for the new permanent and non-permanent seats," Puri said. "We believe that the expanded council should have a total of 25 or 26 members."

The large majority also demands improvements in the council's working methods while acknowledging the progress made till date, he said.

Also, there is an emerging consensus that reform will be complete only when the question of the veto in all its aspects and manifestations is comprehensively addressed, Puri said.