Ban hopes UNSC reform process will be accelerated

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Ahead of a visit to India, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday expressed hope that the Security Council's reform process will be accelerated to meet expectations of countries like India which are keen to play a bigger role as permanent members of the powerful UN body.

"I am very well aware of the aspiration of the Indian government to serve even in a bigger role as permanent member of the UNSC," Ban told agencies here in an interview on the eve of his three-day visit to India.

Ban will depart for his third visit to India as UN Chief tomorrow and would be meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other senior political leaders in New Delhi.

The Secretary-General would receive an honorary doctorate degree from Jamia Islamia University. His itinerary also includes a trip to Mumbai where he would meet Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and attend an event hosted by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, who is member of the Millennium Development Goals Advocacy group, which Ban had established.

Ban said UNSC reforms has been one of the most important and most debated issues, particularly during the last 20 years and has picked up pace in the last three years.

He noted that UN member states have been working "very hard and accelerating" the pace of the reform process.

"There is generally broad consensus of views that considering such dramatic situations which have been taking place in the international community, the UNSC should be reformed in a more representative, more democratic, transparent way," Ban said.

While there is 'almost near consensus' that the UN's powerful 15-nation body should be reformed, Ban said member states have not been able to find a clear formula which would satisfy and meet the expectations of all member states.