India pushes for UN overhaul, says Security Council reforms key for ‘Fit for Future’ multilateralism | World

India on Tuesday reiterated its push for a complete overhaul of the United Nations, calling for urgent reform of the Security Council. It further emphasised a stronger General Assembly and a bigger role for the Economic and Social Council to keep multilateralism relevant. New Delhi also warned that the UN risks losing global support the longer it delays making the Security Council more representative.

“Public perception about the UN has changed adversely in the recent past, primarily due to the Security Council’s inability to meaningfully intervene in raging conflicts across different parts of the globe,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said on Tuesday. He was addressing a ministerial roundtable on ‘Making Multilateralism Fit for the Future’, as a key goal of the landmark ‘Pact for the Future.’

‘UNSC is ineffective’

While addressing the roundtable, the Ambassador made his remarks about the UNSC’s relevance. India is not a part of the Security Council, despite being the most populated nation in the world. “The Security Council has been ineffective in putting an end to human suffering among the affected populations,” he said, questioning the Institution’s credibility in maintaining international peace and stability.

Ambassador Parvathaneni argued that the Council’s shortcomings come down to its outdated structure. “The underlying reason for inadequacies of the Security Council is evident. An eighty-year-old architecture designed for the 1940s is ill-equipped to address contemporary challenges,” he said. 

He added that the UN as a collective has failed to move the needle on reforming the Security Council, with discussions limited to an “endless cycle of prepared statements” under the framework. 

India’s push for a bigger role in the UN

Reaffirming India’s commitment to global governance reforms, Ambassador Parvathaneni said, “India emphasises that we will continue to support all genuine efforts to implement reforms in global governance institutions, including the UN Security Council and the IFIs. Our joint endeavour must be to make these institutions fit for purpose, equipped to handle the present and future challenges of humanity.”

Beyond calls for reforming the Council, the Ambassador also emphasised the revitalisation of the General Assembly and a stronger role for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in advancing sustainable development across its three dimensions: economic, social, and environmental. 

India’s role in the Global South

During the roundtable, the Ambassador also made remarks on the development of the Global South as a priority for the nation. “Our commitment is unwavering to leave no one behind, to mobilise resources where they matter most, and to lead by example,” he added. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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