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www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Global Affairs News India Times (August 1, 2026 - August 7, 2026) August 7, 2026 5 C alling for an end to repetitive general statements, India has demanded an immediate shift to text- based negotiations on United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reform, armed with clearly defined timelines and milestones. As the UN prepares to roll into its 81st session, India has delivered a blunt message that multilateral reform can no longer be sidelined by endless procedural delays and circular debates. On 28 July 2026, the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus a draft oral decision to roll over the Intergov- ernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform into its 81st session. India warned that the rollover risks further eroding the credibility of the UN’s most powerful organ. FRUSTRATION OVER CONTINUOUS DELAY Delivering India’s statement, Permanent Representa- tive, Parvathaneni Harish, sharply criticized the failure of the 80th UN General Assembly session to deliver any concrete outcome. He argued that, despite years of dis- cussion, member states had not moved beyond general exchanges of views and cluster-based debates that merely restate entrenched national positions. “In Indian philosophy, it is said that a soul has to go through cycles of births and deaths, making incremental progress each time, before attaining liberation,” Harish said. “The IGN has been through seventeen cycles al- ready. Sadly, however, there is no liberation in sight. How much longer should the world wait?” The criticism underlined India’s view that the IGN has become a symbol of institutional paralysis. After 17 rounds of informal meetings, there has been no structural agreement on how to modernize a body that still reflects the power distribution of 1945, India stressed. IGN was authorized in 2008 and formed in 2009 by the Assembly specifically for the purpose of moving member states towards text-based negotiations on the key issues of (1) expansion in permanent and non-permanent cat- egories, (2) the question of veto power, (3) regional repre- sentation, and (4) the working methods of the Council. Seventeen years later, India argued, these objectives remain stalled in a procedural loop. Instead of drafting and negotiating actual text, the IGN continues to operate through oral exchanges and “elements papers” compiled by co-Chairs. ROADBLOCKS AND “HOSTAGE-TAKING” Despite wide rhetorical support from a majority of UN member states for “comprehensive Security Council reform,” progress has been repeatedly blocked over the years by both structural and political resistance. The P5 are broadly seen as reluctant to dilute their exclusive veto-based dominance. At the same time, some regional rivals remain openly opposed to the elevation of G4 members, with Pakistan resisting India’s bid, Argen- tina and Mexico opposing Brazil, and Italy leading the “Uniting for Consensus” or “Coffee Club” bloc against German and other European claims. India warned that this combination of great-power protectionism and regional rivalry has allowed a small minority to hold the process “hostage,” shielding the status quo frommeaningful reform through procedural tactics and insistence on perpetual “consensus” before any text is drafted. UNACCEPTABLE ELEMENTS PAPER An important focus by India was the unacceptability of the co-Chairs’ recent Elements Paper, which was meant to combine areas of agreement and disagreement among member states. Harish contended that the paper rests on a “subjective assessment” that does not faithfully capture the preferences of the broader membership. India specifically rejected the notion of “Fixed Re- gional Seats” in the paper, a model that aims to enhance representation through longer-term or semi-permanent regional allocations in the non-permanent category. India argued that this would upgrade the elected seats without addressing the core problem of the absence of new permanent members. By contrast, India reiterated its backing for the African Group’s longstanding demand of at least two permanent seats for Africa with over 50 UN member states and more than a billion people, calling it correcting “historical injustices” . A STRUCTURAL GRIEVANCE India’s criticism formed part of a broader push by the G4 (Brazil, Germany, India, Japan) and the L.69 Group of developing countries from Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific to expand both permanent and non-per- manent membership. Their grievance is against the cur- rent UNSC structure which no longer reflects contempo- rary geopolitical or demographic realities, they feel. During the meeting, the coalition also pointed to stark under-representation of Africa, Latin America and South Asia, creating a pronounced “democratic deficit” and undermining the Council’s legitimacy. India, the G4 and the L.69 contend that integrat- ing major economic and political powers of the Global South and key regional stakeholders into the permanent category would: • Align global governance with 21st-century power realities; • Amplify the voice and agency of developing coun- tries; • Restore confidence in the UN’s capacity to respond credibly to crises; and • Embed greater institutional fairness into the multi- lateral system. DEMAND FOR NEGOTIATING TEXT In its closing message, India called for an end to empty and futile exercises that merely rehearse standard posi- tions year after year. Instead, India pressed the Assembly to do what the IGN was originally created to achieve: move to text-based negotiations, underpinned by clear timelines, milestones, and a mandate to produce a con- crete reform package. Only then, it argued, can the UN hope to begin to align the Security Council with the world it claims to represent. India Denounces ‘Endless Cycles’ Of UN Security Council Reform Talks By Archana Adalja PHOTO:UN PHOTO / MARK GARTEN The UN General Assembly Inter Governmental Negotiations meeting July 28, 2026. Message From Chef Vikas Khanna On India-US Trade Portal “I ’ve been living in US for almost 30 years. I came to this country with a single dream. To bring India to the world and to take the world to India. And by God’s grace, I have been given such amazing opportu- nities. But it was never like this. I would go to trade shows, and many times I would be the only Indian on this entire platform. But times are chang- ing. We are seeing the footprint of India expand throughout theWestern world. It could be cuisine, culture, values, innova- tion, products. But I have a dream that India can have $50 billion export of food to the USA. In this regard, I am excited about the Indian USA Trade Facilitation Portal cre- ated by the Indian Consulate in NewYork for small, medium, big from India and the USA. It’s much more than a platform. Indian exporters in all sectors, includ- ing in food sector, can showcase their products through virtual exhibitions, connect with trusted sourcing partners and use AI powered recommendations to discover the right opportunities for them. And there are plenty of them. I also love that creates opportunities to learn through webinars and compa- nies like Amazon, Costco, andWalmart. And I’ve been working with them for years and that is the right platform. I’ve always believed that when good people come together with honest intentions, wonderful things happen. I hope this portal inspires many more entrepreneurs to share what they create with the world. I encourage you to reg- ister on the India USA Trade Facilitation Portal. I’ve also put the link in my bio. One more important thing. It is a time for us to use these platforms to bring our culture, our artisans, our values to the world. Good luck to everyone. Looking forward to a massive footprint of India to the world.” India US Trade Portal Link: https:// indiausatrade.mea.gov.in/ Video Message Link: https://www. dropbox.com/scl/fo/fq0pcytv7tf0hg- t85usp1/AEvbZZxJ737FFLd3T9P0MM8?rl key=xh9z2se7ptdtctaw2n6gm63xo&st=l3 a4ofwj&dl=0 By Chef Vikas Khanna PHOTO:REUTERS/AMIT DAVE/FILE PHOTO Michelin Chef, author and philanthropist Vikas Khanna speaking at the World Food Movement launch at the Indian Consulate of New York.