India on Tuesday renewed its call for a comprehensive reform of the United Nations, urging an urgent overhaul of the UN Security Council (UNSC) and warning that the world body risks losing global confidence if it fails to become more representative and effective. New Delhi also advocated for a stronger General Assembly and a greater role for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), stressing that meaningful reforms are essential to keep multilateralism relevant in addressing 21st-century challenges.
Speaking at a ministerial roundtable on 'Making Multilateralism Fit for the Future', held as part of the implementation of the landmark 'Pact for the Future', India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said the UN's credibility has suffered due to the Security Council's inability to effectively respond to ongoing global conflicts.
Highlighting growing concerns over the effectiveness of the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni said the Security Council has repeatedly failed to intervene meaningfully in major conflicts across the world.
"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," he said.
The ambassador noted that the Council's inability to end humanitarian crises has raised serious questions about its effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security.
India argued that the root cause of the Security Council's shortcomings lies in its outdated structure, which no longer reflects present-day geopolitical realities.
"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," Ambassador Parvathaneni said.
He added that despite years of discussions, the United Nations has failed to make tangible progress on Security Council reform, with negotiations often reduced to what he described as an "endless cycle of prepared statements."
India has consistently maintained that the UNSC must be expanded to better represent developing nations and emerging powers. Despite being the world's most populous country and one of the fastest-growing major economies, India is not a permanent member of the Security Council.
Reaffirming New Delhi's long-standing position, Ambassador Parvathaneni said India would continue to support genuine efforts aimed at reforming global governance institutions.
"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," he said.
India has consistently advocated for reforms not only in the UN but also in international financial institutions (IFIs), arguing that global institutions should better reflect current economic and political realities.
Beyond Security Council reform, India stressed the importance of revitalising the UN General Assembly and strengthening the role of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
According to Ambassador Parvathaneni, ECOSOC should play a more prominent role in advancing sustainable development by addressing its economic, social and environmental dimensions in an integrated manner. Strengthening these institutions, he said, would make the UN system more responsive to the evolving needs of member states.
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