InternationalWednesday, 23 September 2026·The Hindu - International
UN chief Guterres renews call to reform the Security Council at 81st UNGA
At the 81st UN General Assembly on 22 September 2026, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged reform of the 15-member Security Council.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On 22 September 2026, at the opening of the General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called for reform of the 15-member UN Security Council.
Key specifics
- The UN Security Council has 15 members, including 5 permanent veto-wielding members.
- The five permanent members named in the report are China, France, Russia, the U.K. and the U.S.
- Guterres said his second five-year term as UN chief ends in December 2026.
- He argued that Africa has no permanent seat on the Council despite being central to the 21st-century world.
- India is seeking a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2028–29 term, with elections due in June 2027.
Exam lens
Question type: International organisations and reform, UN Security Council composition, veto powers, India’s UN diplomacy. TNPSC may ask the number of permanent members, the date of the speech, and India’s 2028–29 bid.