External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday launched India’s campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term, saying the country would work for a secure, peaceful and equitable world while giving greater voice to the Global South.
Launching the candidature at the UN headquarters in New York, Jaishankar unveiled a five-point vision under the acronym ‘SHANTI’—Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity.
He said India would focus on strengthening multilateralism, making UN peacekeeping future-ready, promoting the responsible use of technology, ensuring maritime security, countering terrorism and advancing climate action while representing the interests of developing countries.
Addressing representatives of UN member states, Jaishankar said the world today possessed unprecedented capabilities to improve human welfare but was also witnessing rising conflict, violence and instability.
“To address this complexity, the United Nations must take the lead and the Security Council must show the way,” he said, adding that India’s candidature was backed not only by its vision for the future but also by a proven record of contributions to global peace and development.
Outlining India’s priorities, Jaishankar said New Delhi would work for a “secure, peaceful and equitable world” where the voices of developing countries receive equal attention, peacekeeping adapts to emerging challenges, multilateral institutions reflect contemporary realities and technology is harnessed responsibly.
He said the ‘SHANTI’ framework reflected India’s belief that peace, progress and prosperity could not be pursued in isolation and that the international order must be anchored in respect for global norms, trust and integrity.
Seeking to position India as a bridge between developed and developing nations, Jaishankar said New Delhi would continue to present the concerns of the Global South before the Security Council. He cited initiatives such as the Voice of Global South Summit and India’s role during its G20 presidency in securing the African Union’s admission as a permanent member of the grouping.
Calling for reforms in global governance, Jaishankar said multilateralism must become “democratic, representative and effective” to remain relevant. Countries such as India, with a tradition of consensus-building, could help make the Security Council “more robust, responsive and ready”, he said.
Highlighting India’s peacekeeping credentials, the minister said the country had contributed nearly 3,00,000 personnel to about 50 UN missions over the decades and currently had around 4,300 personnel deployed across 10 of the 11 active peacekeeping missions, most of them in Africa.
He said future UN peacekeeping operations must be technologically equipped, adequately resourced and guided by realistic mandates, while reaffirming India’s support for the Women, Peace and Security agenda and the role of women peacekeepers.
On emerging technologies, Jaishankar unveiled another framework—‘MANAV’—to articulate India’s approach to artificial intelligence, describing it as a human-centric model based on moral and ethical systems, accountable governance, national sovereignty, accessibility and legitimacy. He said India would work to ensure AI benefits all while addressing risks posed by its misuse to international peace and security.
The minister also underlined India’s commitment to maritime security, saying the country would push for adherence to international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), safeguard global sea lanes and strengthen cooperation against piracy. He referred to India’s anti-piracy operations, humanitarian assistance and the Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region as examples of its contribution.
Describing terrorism as a persistent global threat, Jaishankar called for greater international efforts to curb terror financing and adopt objective, evidence-based approaches for designating terrorist organisations.
To bolster India’s case for the Security Council seat, he highlighted the country’s expanding global development footprint, citing humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, medical aid, food security initiatives and development projects across 79 countries. He also referred to India’s support for a two-state solution to the Palestine issue and announced fresh commitments towards healthcare and vocational infrastructure for Palestinians.
Emphasising dialogue and diplomacy as India’s preferred approach to conflict resolution, Jaishankar said the country presence on the Security Council would strengthen the body’s decision-making.
"We believe that India's presence in the Security Council will help strengthen decision-making in this vital body," he said while seeking the support of UN member states for India's candidature.