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Mahbubani proposed that by giving up its seat, the UK would gain the freedom to pursue its interests independently, without the constraints of its permanent membership on the Security Council
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His remarks underscore a growing call for reforms within international institutions to better represent the current geopolitical landscape
Former Singapore diplomat Professor Kishore Mahbubani has called for urgent reforms to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), advocating for India’s inclusion as a permanent member. In a recent interview with NDTV, Mahbubani suggested that the United Kingdom should relinquish its permanent seat to India, citing the need for contemporary global representation in the UN.
Mahbubani argued that India is now the third-most powerful country in the world, following the United States and China, while the UK no longer holds the same level of global influence.
The diplomat emphasized that the UN needs to reflect the power dynamics of today, not those of the past. However, he also criticized the lack of a mechanism to update the composition of the UNSC to include emerging powers like India
He pointed out that the UK has not exercised its veto power, a privilege of the permanent UNSC members, for decades due to fears of international backlash. “The logical thing for the UK to do is give up its seat to India,” Mahbubani stated.
Highlighting the lessons learned from the collapse of the League of Nations, Mahbubani noted that the UN’s founders ensured that all major powers of that era had vested interests in the organization to maintain its stability.
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