Jaishankar meets UN Chief Guterres, launches India's UNSC 2028-29 campaign

New York: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York on Monday (local time), with the two leaders discussing major global developments and reaffirming the strength of India-UN cooperation.

Sharing details of the meeting on X, Jaishankar said the discussions covered key geopolitical issues, including the situations in West Asia, Ukraine and Sudan.

The meeting came shortly after India formally launched its campaign for election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term.

Addressing diplomats at the UN headquarters, Jaishankar said India's candidature comes at a time when the world is facing growing conflict and instability, making the role of the UN and the Security Council more important than ever.

He said member states would evaluate both India's vision for addressing global challenges and its long-standing contribution to international peace and security.

Presenting India's approach to global governance, Jaishankar unveiled the 'SHANTI' vision—Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity—describing it as India's guiding principle for building a more peaceful, secure and equitable world.

He also highlighted India's longstanding contribution to UN peacekeeping operations, noting that the country has deployed nearly 300,000 personnel across around 50 UN peacekeeping missions since the organisation's inception. India currently has about 4,300 personnel serving in 10 of the UN's 11 active peacekeeping missions.

Jaishankar said India would continue to advocate for better-equipped and technologically advanced peacekeeping missions while promoting the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Highlighting India's role as a development partner, he said Indian-funded projects are currently being implemented in 79 countries. He added that India has consistently supported dialogue and diplomacy during international conflicts while working to amplify the concerns of the Global South.

Expressing confidence in India's UNSC bid, Jaishankar said India's presence on the Security Council would strengthen decision-making through wider consultations and greater consensus among member states.

If elected, India would join the UNSC's 10 rotating non-permanent members, who serve two-year terms alongside the Council's five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Non-permanent members are elected by the 193-member UN General Assembly and require a two-thirds majority vote.

Following his engagements at the UN, Jaishankar is scheduled to travel to Brussels for the third India-EU Trade and Technology Council meeting, where he will also hold talks with European Union and Belgian leaders on July 14 and 15.

(With ANI inputs)