EAM Jaishankar Critiques UN’s Role In Global Affairs

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar criticized the United Nations (UN) on Sunday, likening it to an “old company” that has not adapted to the changing global landscape. He made these remarks during the Kautilya Economic Conclave, emphasizing that the UN’s inability to keep pace with global challenges has compelled countries to seek alternative solutions.

Jaishankar noted, “The UN, in a way, is like an old company, not entirely keeping up with the market but occupying the space.” He pointed out that while nations would prefer the UN to spearhead global initiatives, its shortcomings often force them to create their own mechanisms to address pressing issues.

“At the end of the day, there is a UN, however suboptimal it is in functioning. It’s still the only multilateral game in town,” he added. However, he stressed that when the UN fails to act on key matters, countries find their own paths forward.

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Reflecting on the UN’s limited role during the Covid-19 pandemic, Jaishankar remarked, “Think about what the UN did on Covid, and I think the answer is not very much.” He also expressed concern over the UN’s inaction regarding significant global conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing Middle East crisis. “Where is the UN on them? Essentially a bystander,” he stated.

Jaishankar highlighted that during crises like Covid, countries often acted independently or formed new initiatives, such as Covax, led by a coalition of nations. “Increasingly, you’ll find combinations of countries who come together and say, let’s agree on this and let’s go and do it,” he noted.

He cited recent examples of international collaboration, including a connectivity initiative involving India, Middle Eastern countries, European nations, and the U.S. He also mentioned alliances like the QUAD and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, which operate outside of the UN framework. “The UN will continue, but increasingly there’s a non-UN space, which is the active space,” he concluded.

India has long advocated for the expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to include more permanent and non-permanent members. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, obtaining a permanent seat for India in an expanded UNSC has been a top priority. Discussions on UNSC reforms are currently underway within the Inter-Governmental Negotiation (IGN) framework of the UN General Assembly.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India is also collaborating with reform-oriented nations through its membership in the G-4 (comprising India, Japan, Brazil, and Germany) and the L.69 Group, which seeks to build support for UNSC expansion among UN member states.