External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Sunday that the United Nations (UN) resembles an “old company” that is struggling to adapt to the changing global landscape, causing countries to seek alternative solutions for pressing global issues.
Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave, Jaishankar remarked, “The UN, in a way, is like an old company, not entirely keeping up with the market but occupying the space. When it’s behind times, you have startups and innovation, leading different countries to start doing their own things.”
He noted that while nations would prefer the UN to spearhead global initiatives, its inability to effectively address critical challenges forces countries to create their own mechanisms.
“There is a UN at the end of the day; however suboptimal its functioning, it’s still the only multilateral game in town. But when it doesn’t step up on key issues, countries figure out their own ways of doing it,” he explained.
Jaishankar reflected on the UN’s limited contributions during the Covid-19 pandemic, stating, “Probably the biggest thing which happened in our life was Covid. Think about what the UN did on Covid, and I think the answer is not very much.”
He also pointed out the UN's inaction regarding major global conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. “Where is the UN on them? Essentially a bystander,” he said.
He highlighted that, in response to the UN’s shortcomings, countries are increasingly forming coalitions to address significant global challenges, citing initiatives involving India and other nations as examples of this trend.
“When it comes to the big issues of the day, increasingly, you’ll find combinations of countries who come together and say, let’s agree on this and let’s go and do it,” Jaishankar added.
Jaishankar underscored India’s long-standing push for reform within the UN, specifically advocating for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to include both permanent and non-permanent members.
The Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, prioritises obtaining a permanent UNSC seat. Currently, discussions on UNSC reforms are being held under the Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) framework of the UN General Assembly.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India is collaborating with other reform-oriented countries through its membership in the G-4 (comprising India, Japan, Brazil, and Germany) and the L.69 Group (a cross-regional coalition of countries from Asia, Africa, and Latin America) to build support among UN member states for the expansion of the UNSC.
Follow us
