Elon Musk says India not having permanent seat in UN Security Council is ‘absurd’

Billionaire tech magnate Elon Musk has called the absence of India as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) “absurd.”

The Tesla CEO said that the current structure of the UNSC does not adequately represent the world’s most populous nations and called for an overhaul.

“At some point, there needs to be a revision of the UN bodies. Problem is that those with excess power don’t want to give it up. India not having a permanent seat on the Security Council, despite being the most populous country on Earth, is absurd,” Musk said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

He also advocated that Africa collectively should have a permanent membership in the top UN body.

India has been vying for a permanent seat at the UNSC table for years. But its attempts to secure a permanent seat have been met with resistance, mainly from China, which has utilised its veto power to block India’s inclusion. Despite this, other permanent members, including the United States and France, have backed India’s candidacy.

The UNSC currently recognises five permanent members, often referred to as the P5: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China. These nations wield significant power, including the ability to veto resolutions. Non-permanent members, elected for two-year terms, contribute to the council’s agenda but lack the veto power of their permanent counterparts.

Recently, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar likened the UN Security Council to “an old club with a set (of) members who do not want to let go of their grip and not keen to have their practices questioned”. He also underscored the increasing global support for India’s permanent seat on the UNSC.

In September 2023, Jaishankar voiced concern about the UN’s resistance to reform, calling it “anachronistic” and suggesting people may look for solutions elsewhere. Using a bus analogy, he criticised the unchanged permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, has pointed out the need for UN reform, noting the significant changes in the world since its inception. “When the UN was established, the world was completely different. Despite the UN now having around 200 member countries, the permanent members in the UNSC remain the same,” he had said.