'Absurd That India Doesn't Have Permanent UNSC Seat': Elon Musk Calls for Revision of UN Bodies

Elon Musk on Sunday said it is absurd to note that India does not have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council . The billionaire who owns social media site X, Tesla and SpaceX said that the UN bodies need a revision and said it is absurd that despite being the most populous country India is not given a permanent seat at the UN Security Council.

“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. Africa collectively should also have a permanent seat imo,” Musk said in a social media post on site X, which he owns.

Musk was responding to a post made by venture capitalist and author Michael Eisenberg who was responding to a post made by UN chief Antonio Guterres who called for a revision of the UN bodies to ensure they reflect the realities of today.

Elon Musk’s call for revision has been put forward by Indian officials on the global stage on several occasions. Union minister for external affairs S Jaishankar has kept on pushing for reforms since assuming his role at several international forums and lamented that those in power are not ready to share or give up their power.

Elon Musk, too, this week in his post pointed out that ‘those with excess power don’t want to give it up’.

Old Club

Union minister S Jaishankar in December 2023 said the UN Security Council is like an ‘old club’ while addressing the attendees at an event in Bengaluru. “(The) Security Council is like an old club, where there are set members who don’t want to let go of the grip. They want to keep control over the club. Not very keen to admit more members, not keen to have their practices questioned,” S Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar at another event in December in Thiruvananthapuram said nations will be forced to look for other solutions if the UN does not undergo reforms. “What would happen if they do not reform? People will find solutions outside. And this is a message the UN has to understand. Resistance to reform will eventually – it’s a bit like survival of the fittest – become anachronistic and therefore develop the danger of heading towards, not extinction, but a little bit of irrelevance,” Jaishankar said.

The external affairs minister questioned the exclusion of the African Union and Latin American countries along with India on many occasions.