Elon Musk Terms India Not Having Permanent Seat In UNSC As 'Absurd'

Tesla founder and owner of social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Elon Musk today criticised the structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) saying that India not having a permanent seat in the grouping is 'absurd'. Musk made the remarks while replying to a post of American-Israeli businessman Michael Eisenberg who confronted Secretary-General of the United Nations António Guterres' post backing Africa for a permanent seat.

"How can we accept that Africa still lacks a single Permanent Member in the Security Council? Institutions must reflect today’s world, not that of 80 years ago. September’s Summit of the Future will be an opportunity to consider global governance reforms & rebuild trust," said Guterres.

To this, Eisenberg responded, "And what about India? Better yet is to dismantle the UN and build something new with real leadership."

And what about India?

Better yet is to dismantle the @UN and build something new with real leadership. https://t.co/EYpyooHaH4 — Michael Eisenberg (@mikeeisenberg) January 21, 2024

Musk responded to Eisenberg's post saying there needs to be a revision of the UN bodies. "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," said Musk.

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… — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 21, 2024

India has been vying for a permanent seat in the UNSC but its bid has been blocked by China time and again. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi had questioned the credibility and effectiveness of the UNSC. PM Modi had once said that the credibility and effectiveness of global institutions is being questioned as there has been no change in these institutions despite the passage of time. "These institutions reflect the mindset and realities of the world 75 years ago,” he had said.

The reform of the United Nations Security Council has been under discussion for over a decade, yet member nations have not reached a consensus on the council's size and whether additional nations should possess veto powers. Consequently, the Security Council still mirrors the global power dynamics of 1945, with the P-5 (the USA, UK, France, Russia, and China) retaining their privileged status as victors of the Second World War.

Countries such as India, Germany, Japan, and Brazil have been advocating for the acquisition of permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council. These nations aspire to have a more significant role in global governance and decision-making within the UN, reflecting their economic and geopolitical importance on the world stage.