France backs India’s call for ‘urgent’ UN Security Council reforms

Backing India’s long-standing demand, France has called for “urgent” United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms.

Speaking at a UNSC’s Arria Formula meet, French Diplomat Sheraz Gasri said, “France is in favour of expanding the Security Council to strengthen its authority and representativeness while preserving its decision-making character. This has beenemphasised by India. This reform is urgent.”

Arria Formula is an informal UNSC mechanism under which issues are discussed without the usual formulations at the high table. It was first implemented inMarch 1992.

The French diplomat called for support of the “Franco-Mexican initiative on the use of the veto in the event of mass atrocities to strengthen the council’s effectiveness.”

Speaking at the same meet, India’s deputy Permanent Representative to UN, R Ravindra said, “A more representative, effective and transparent Security Council is a key pillar to India’s overall approach to the subject of reformed multilateralism.”

He added, “We are still far from a truly inclusive security council in which all its members, elected and permanent, equally share the burdenof contributing international peace and security.”

The meet was called to discuss the issue of penholdership, and co-penholdership at the UNSC. A penholder is an informal arrangement at the UNSC to initiate and chair the informal drafting process at the high table.

The Indiandiplomat proposed several ways to make penholdership “democratic and inclusive” which will enhance the decision making process.

R Ravindra proposed that “neighbouring countries of the topic concerned should be considered for penholdership.”

France also expressed support for the issue.

“France is opento co-penning, inorder to get the best out of expertise and experience. This year we have presented texts onthe Great Lakes, sometimes with the A3 countries (Niger, Kenya and Tunisia), and recently with India,” French diplomat Gasri said.

Notably, Norway and Estonia were penholders on Afghanistan last year at UNSC, a year that saw the Afghan republic collapse.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE