India calls for change at UN as conflicts persist

As the United Nations prepares to celebrate its 80th anniversary next year, India stressed that reform is “key” to the organisation’s “relevance” in addressing current and future global challenges, as world leaders signed off on an ambitious pact this year to transform global governance and drive sustainable action.

When world leaders descended at the UN Headquarters in September for the high-level 79th session of the General Assembly, they adopted by consensus the landmark ‘Pact of the Future’ — a document that covers themes from peace and security, sustainable development to climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations, and transformation of global governance.

Underlining the need for reform, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, “We don’t need a crystal ball to see that 21st century challenges require problem-solving mechanisms that are more effective, networked and inclusive. We can’t create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents.”

A polarised Security Council has failed to deal with current peace and security challenges, with Council members sharply divided on conflicts such as the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war.

Guterres noted that many of today's pressing issues were not foreseen when the UN's multilateral framework was created 80 years ago. India's message to the international community was that reforms in global institutions are essential for global peace and development. “Reform is the key to relevance... Global action must match global ambition,”Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his address to the UN's Summit of the Future, where the Pact was adopted.

In his first term, Trump described the UN as hampered by “bureaucracy and mismanagement”.

‘Reform key to relevance’

India has been at the forefront of years-long efforts calling for reform of the Security Council, including expansion in both its permanent and non-permanent categories, saying the 15-nation Council, founded in 1945, is not fit for purpose in the 21st century and does not reflect contemporary geo-political realities. Delhi has underscored that it rightly deserves a permanent seat at the horse-shoe table.