India was elected unopposed as one of the non-permanent members of the Security Council at the United Nations yesterday and now it will also serve as the President of the UN body for August, 2021. This will be the eighth time India will serve the two-term post after securing 184 out of 192 votes polled in the elections that took place at the UN headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

The Presidency of the council is held by each of its members for a month, following the English alphabetical order of the member states’ name. India will also preside over the council for a month in the year 2022.

Tweeting about the good news, PM Narendra Modi wrote that he was deeply grateful to the international community for electing India to the post. “India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity,” he wrote.

Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community for India's membership of the @UN Security Council. India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2020

Along with India, countries like Mexico, Kenya, Ireland and Norway obtained a two thirds majority in the General Assembly. However, the fifth seat is undecided as Kenya and Djibouti will go in the second round.

India is the sole nation elected from the Asia-Pacific category for the 2021-22 term. Its victory was expected since it had got endorsement from the 55 member Asia Pacific group, including China and Pakistan, last year. India was also elected as a non-permanent member for the seventh time in 2011 for a year.

India sought the support of member nations by highlighting its commitment to multilateralism and reforms. After the vote session was completed, India launched a campaign brochure which highlighted its demand for transparency in UN peacekeeping missions. It also pushed for India-led Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and expansion of the Security Council. “A new orientation for a reformed multilateral system” would be India’s overall objective as pronounced by the External Affairs minister, S. Jaishankar in the conference.

In 2021, the newly-elected members India, Ireland, Kenya, Norway and Mexico will sit at the UN high table along with the five permanent members- China, France, Russia, the UK and the US, as well as non-permanent members like Estonia, Tunisia, Niger, Saint Vincent, Vietnam and the Grenadines.

Tunisia will begin 2021 as the President in January followed by one month each for the others in the order of the UK, the US, Vietnam, China, Estonia, France, India, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico and Niger.

The two year term of Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, South Africa and Indonesia are coming to an end.

The post India becomes Elected member of UNSC Unopposed appeared first on .