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Jaishankar Calls UN Ineffective, Urges Security Council Reform
S. Jaishankar said the United Nations is not making enough decisions on major world problems.
He pointed to disagreements in the Security Council as one reason.
He also said the Council does not represent the world as well as it once did, because the UN now has many more members.
Jaishankar said some countries are using Africa’s interests as a reason to resist reform.
He said African countries have already shared their position in negotiations.
He believes the UN is still important and should be improved, not avoided.
India is working with other countries to support changes to the Security Council.
Changing the Council would require changes to the UN Charter.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called the United Nations largely irrelevant to decisions on major global crises.
He blamed Security Council gridlock and said its composition does not reflect the wider international community.
Jaishankar said the UN has grown from 51 members to nearly four times that number.
He said some countries invoke Africa’s interests to oppose reform, while asserting that African countries have stated their position in negotiations.
Jaishankar urged countries to fix rather than bypass the UN; India is pursuing Security Council expansion through the G4 and L.69 groups.
- Who
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, speaking about the United Nations and Security Council reform.
- What
- Jaishankar called the UN largely irrelevant to decision-making on major issues and urged reforms to make it more representative.
- Where
- New Delhi, India.
- When
- Monday, during a discussion at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave; no date is specified.
- Why
- Jaishankar cited Security Council gridlock and said its composition no longer reflects the wider international community.
Reform advocates
Reform opponents, as described by Jaishankar
Changing the Security Council
Reform advocates
Jaishankar said the Council is gridlocked and no longer represents the wider global interest; he argued it should be reformed and expanded.
Reform opponents, as described by Jaishankar
Jaishankar said some countries resist UN reform and invoke Africa’s interests as an argument against it; the articles do not provide those countries’ own explanations.
Reform or bypass the UN
Reform advocates
Jaishankar said the UN remains important and should be fixed rather than bypassed.
Reform opponents, as described by Jaishankar
Jaishankar raised concern about continued UN ineffectiveness, but the articles do not identify a specific opposing position on whether to bypass the organization.
Key facts
- Speaker
- S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister of India
- Event
- 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave
- UN membership
- The UN began with 51 members and now has almost four times that number, according to Jaishankar.
- Issues cited
- Conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine, issues in Africa, and COVID
- India's groupings
- India is working through the G4—India, Japan, Brazil and Germany—and the L.69 Group.
- Charter change
- Reforming the Security Council would require amendments to the UN Charter.
Quotes
S. Jaishankar
India’s External Affairs Minister
“Where the UN is concerned, it's obvious to everybody by now that the UN is gridlocked, that if you look at the big issues of the day, whether you look at the conflict in the Gulf, whether you look at the conflict in Ukraine, whether you look at other issues in Africa, or whether you look at COVID, actually the United Nations has been largely irrelevant to the decision-making”
republicworld.com
“The UN started with 51 members; it's got almost four times that number today. So, if you have grown four times and you want to keep the old board of management, it's not going to work. It's common sense.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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