India welcomes Annan, eyes UNSC seat

In a departure from protocol, Indian External Affairs minister Natwar Singh welcomed UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to India on his three-day visit.

It is a sign that New Delhi has made UN reform, particularly its bid for a permanent seat on the Security Council, a foreign policy goal.

"We are very pleased to have the Secretary General in Delhi at this time, particularly when the reform of the United Nations is very high indeed on the international agenda," said Natwar Singh.

The Secretary General also knows he has to keep India on board, if he wants to push through his reform plans before the next big meeting in September.

"We also believe that the UN institutions should be strengthened," said Annan.
"And of course, the proposals for the expansion of the Security Council which I hope, as part of the reform proposals, will be approved this year by the member states," he added.
But a vote or even consensus by then seems unlikely, as the world remains bitterly divided over two rival proposals to expand the 15 member Security Council to 24.

Proposed UN reform plans:
Plan A: Six permanent members--- One proposal is for six permanent seats to be added. Interested parties Japan, Germany, India and Brazil have joined forces to lobby for its adoption. While China opposes Japan's bid, Pakistan has opposed India's inclusionPlan B: Eight semi-permanent members---The other proposal would add eight semi-permanent seats. This is supported by Pakistan, Italy, Mexico, South Korea and several others, who are hoping to get it in rotationNo veto powers to new members --- However, the UN reform plan says nothing about veto powers, which remain with the elite five permanent members. But the process is not all that simple. Annan's reform plans looks at a new human rights agenda, defining terrorism and poverty.

And yet, New Delhi insists that for the world body to have any relevance, it must be given a key position in decision-making.