External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday, 14 July formally launched India's candidature for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), unveiling a six-point manifesto anchored in the acronym 'Shanti' — standing for 'Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity'. Speaking before delegates and diplomats at the United Nations in New York, Jaishankar positioned India as the natural Voice of the Global South at the Council's highest table.

What the Shanti Manifesto Proposes

India is contesting the Asia-Pacific non-permanent seat in next year's UN General Assembly election, with the winning term beginning in 2028. Jaishankar outlined that India's campaign rests on its track record of supporting developing nations, its extensive participation in UN peacekeeping missions, and its commitment to reforming multilateral institutions to meet contemporary global challenges.

Countering terrorism will remain a central pillar of India's agenda — a continuation of its most recent Council term in 2021-22, during which the Council, under India's rotating presidency, met in Mumbai in October 2021 and paid tribute to victims of the 2008 terrorist attacks carried out by Pakistan-based groups. That session also spotlighted the misuse of emerging technologies by terrorist networks.

The Competition: Tajikistan and the OIC Factor

So far, only Tajikistan has formally announced its candidature for the same Asia-Pacific seat, which will be vacated by Bahrain at the end of next year. Dushanbe has been lobbying for the seat for several years and received the endorsement of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as early as 2023, with the bloc's resolution citing 'the principle of Islamic solidarity' as the basis for its backing.

The OIC commands 56 votes in the 193-member General Assembly. India will require a two-thirds majority — approximately 129 votes — to secure the seat. In its last election, India ran unopposed with unanimous Asia-Pacific Group backing and received 184 votes, with 8 cast as spoiler votes.

India's UNSC History and the Gap Problem

India has served eight terms as an elected Council member, with its first term dating to 1950-51. Subsequent terms came in 1967, 1972, 1977, 1984, 1991, 2011-12, and 2021-22. Notably, there was a 19-year gap between the 1991 and 2011 terms, and a decade-long gap before the 2021 term.

The 2028-29 bid is explicitly designed to shorten these intervals and establish a more consistent Indian presence at the UN's primary decision-making body. New Delhi is simultaneously pursuing a permanent seat on a reformed Council — a long-standing diplomatic objective — while using elected terms to amplify its voice in the interim.

Regional Dynamics and the Asia-Pacific Group

The 53-member Asia-Pacific Group spans from Lebanon in the west to Kiribati in the east. Kyrgyzstan was elected in June to the Asia-Pacific seat being vacated by Pakistan, whose term ends at the close of this year. When regional groups achieve consensus, they typically field a single candidate; absent unanimity, countries may contest independently.

Elsewhere, the OIC has already endorsed Libya for the 2027 Africa seat. Malaysia, targeting the 2035 election, began its lobbying campaign at the start of this decade and secured OIC backing in 2023 — illustrating how far in advance Council campaigns are now waged.

What Comes Next

The General Assembly election is scheduled for next year. India will need to build a broad coalition well beyond the Asia-Pacific Group, particularly among African and Latin American blocs, to offset the OIC's institutional support for Tajikistan. Jaishankar's 'Shanti' framework is designed to serve as that diplomatic pitch — one that frames India not merely as a regional power but as a credible multilateral stakeholder for the developing world.