EAM Jaishankar launches India’s UNSC campaign for 2028-29 term
India will work for a safe, peaceful and egalitarian world where the voice of the Global South is heard equally, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Mr. Jaishankar made these remarks while launching India’s official campaign for a non-permanent seat in the UNSC for 2028-29.
He outlined India’s approach to the United Nations in detail, emphasizing that it is rooted in the principle of “Shanti: Achieving Integral Progress through Norms, Trust, Integrity” and launched India’s campaign for the two-year mandate at an event attended by UN Ambassadors, diplomats and officials at the UN headquarters.
“India’s focus will be to work for a safe, peaceful and egalitarian world; a world where the voice of the Global South is heard equally. A world where peacekeeping is ready for contemporary and future challenges. A world where multilateralism reflects contemporary realities and provides effective solutions rather than standing by,” he said.
“A world where the promises of technology are fully realized and at the same time protected against misuse and misapplication. It is also a world where oceans are safe and secure so that marine lifelines are not threatened,” Mr. Jaishankar added.
“A world where the scourge of terrorism is met by the suffocation of the resources that feed it, and where climate action and climate justice, clean energy transitions and sustainable growth are valued,” he said in a statement on Monday, July 13, 2026.
Mr. Jaishankar will also meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later the same day. He had undertaken an official visit to Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman from July 5-10 and arrived in New York over the weekend.
From New York, he will travel to Brussels on July 14-15, where he will attend the 3rd India-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting and interact with his EU and Belgian counterparts.
The 2028-29 elections, in which India and Tajikistan will compete for the single seat in the Asia-Pacific Group, will be held in June next year.
The UNSC elections will take place at a time of significant geopolitical changes, as the world continues to grapple with challenges such as the Ukraine war, the Gaza conflict and the US-Israeli war against Iran.
India last sat at the UN horseshoe table in 2021-22; He took part in the UN Security Council for the eighth time after serving in 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992, 2011-2012.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his speech to the Indonesian Parliament this week, said that the global order is changing rapidly and in this context, “developing countries like us are seeking equal participation and a greater role in global affairs.” “In this evolving global environment, India believes that reforms in the United Nations Security Council can no longer be postponed.” India has been at the forefront of years-long efforts to reform the Security Council, including expanding both permanent and non-permanent categories, saying the 15-nation Council, established in 1945, is not fit for purpose in the 21st century and does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities.
Delhi has consistently underlined that it deserves a permanent seat at the horseshoe table.
India has called for the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent categories of UN Security Council membership, warning that reform of the UN Security Council would come close to “failure” if only the non-permanent category is expanded, as it would not “fundamentally” change the decision-making power structure of the five permanent members.
While the UNSC reform process has been moving at a snail’s pace for decades, India has argued that the “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed” approach should not become a tool to hinder progress.
“Status quoists have tried to use this argument to their advantage, thereby entrenching existing inequalities in the Security Council,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni had said last month.
It was published – 14 July 2026 06:43 IST
