Melbourne, April 6
Australia today said it would push for India to become a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, which should be expanded to reflect the “modern world.”

“We think the permanent membership should be changed to reflect the modern reality, having on the permanent membership Japan, for example, and India, for example,” foreign minister Stephen Smith told ABC TV.

“That much more reflects the modern world than the current institution,” he said.

The minister said the UN should no longer reflect the situation of the 1940s and 50s, and Australia, which is seeking a temporary seat in the powerful body, wanted it to tackle issues like climate change, millennium development goals and international trade.

Smith said Australia would push for India and Japan to become permanent members, the AAP reported.

Smith said Kevin Rudd government’s quest for non-permanent membership of the council came from a desire to modernise the UN and play a bigger role in the world affairs.

The US, Britain, France, Russia and China have been the Security Council’s permanent members since its formation after World War II. — PTI