External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has called for reforms at the United Nations, arguing that the global body has become increasingly gridlocked and ineffective in addressing major international challenges.
Speaking during an interactive session at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave in Delhi, Jaishankar said the UN remains important but needs reform to better reflect the changing international landscape.
Responding to a question about the future of the UN and multilateral institutions, Jaishankar said the organisation has struggled to play a decisive role in several major global developments.
He cited conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine, issues in Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic while discussing what he described as the UN’s limited role in major decision-making.
According to Jaishankar, much of the problem stems from the UN Security Council, which he said no longer represents the entirety of global interests.
Jaishankar pointed to the significant expansion in UN membership since its creation.
He noted that the organisation began with 51 members and now has almost four times that number, while its core decision-making structure has not undergone a comparable transformation.
The minister argued that maintaining the same institutional structure despite major changes in global membership is increasingly difficult to sustain.
Without naming specific countries, Jaishankar said some countries remain resistant to UN reform and have invoked African interests while opposing changes.
He noted that African countries have themselves articulated a position through the UN’s intergovernmental negotiations on what they want from the reform process.
Despite his criticism, Jaishankar stressed that the international community needs the United Nations and acknowledged its contribution to the global community.
He argued that the objective should be to “fix the UN, not to work around the UN”, with the organisation itself playing a role in the reform process.
Jaishankar also discussed the international financial and trade architecture.
He said there is a widespread perception that the existing system is under strain, particularly because market-based principles coexist with substantial non-market practices.
According to the minister, these practices have distorted the international economy and created tension between established market norms and the current global economic reality.
