NEW DELHI, Oct 25 - Pushing for United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reforms, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today said it was �inconceivable� and �incomprehensible� that India and the African continent do not have permanent representation in the elite club and that both need to work to remove this �anomaly�.
She lamented that Africa despite being the largest continent in terms of number of countries, and India, which has one-sixth of the world�s population, still don�t have permanent membership of the UNSC.
�A major issue in this context is that of UN Security Council reforms. The Security Council continues to be representative of a world order of 1945. It is inconceivable that the Security Council today does not have any permanent representation from Africa, which is the largest continent in terms of number of countries.
�It is also incomprehensible that India, which represents almost one-sixth of the world�s population and has all credentials to be a permanent member of the Security Council, is still out of it. We all need to work together to remove this anomaly and media has an important role in this,� Swaraj said in her inaugural address at the 3rd India-Africa Editors� Forum.
Swaraj said India Africa and other developing countries need to work hand-in-hand in two critical areas- climate change and world trade - in the form of Conference of Parties (COP)- 21 on Climate Change in Paris and the 10th WTO Ministerial in Kenya in December this year.
�In both these meetings also India, Africa and other developing countries will have to work hand-in-hand to ensure that our development agenda is not affected,� Swaraj said. � PTI
