External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has sharply questioned the effectiveness of the United Nations in addressing contemporary global crises, arguing that the organisation has become largely disconnected from major international decision-making because of persistent deadlock within the UN Security Council.

Speaking during a discussion at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the UN has struggled to play a meaningful role in some of the world's most pressing challenges, including conflicts in the Gulf, the war in Ukraine, disputes and instability across parts of Africa, and even the COVID pandemic.

According to Jaishankar, the principal reason for this diminished influence is the paralysis within the Security Council, which frequently prevents consensus on critical international issues.

He contended that the current structure of the Security Council no longer reflects contemporary global realities or the interests of the wider international community. Highlighting how the UN has expanded from its original 51 member states to 193 countries today, he argued that maintaining an institutional structure rooted in the post-Second World War era is increasingly untenable.

Jaishankar said that expecting the same governing framework to function effectively despite the organisation's dramatic expansion was neither practical nor logical, stressing that the world body must adapt to the realities of the twenty-first century.

The External Affairs Minister also criticised countries that oppose UN reform while citing African interests as justification for delaying change. He noted that Africa has already articulated a clear and unified position during intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform and has formally laid out its expectations regarding future representation.

His remarks come amid growing international discussion on the demand for greater African representation within the Security Council. The African Union's long-standing Common African Position, embodied in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, calls for at least two permanent seats and additional non-permanent representation for the continent in any expanded Council.

Jaishankar argued that continued resistance to reform risks deepening perceptions of irrelevance and ineffectiveness within the United Nations. However, he emphasised that the solution is not to bypass the organisation but to revitalise it through meaningful institutional changes.

While acknowledging the significant contributions made by the United Nations over decades in promoting international cooperation, peacekeeping and development, he maintained that preserving its credibility now depends on its willingness to reform itself and better reflect present-day geopolitical realities.

India has remained one of the strongest advocates of comprehensive UN reform, particularly the expansion of the Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories. New Delhi has consistently argued that the existing structure fails to represent emerging powers, developing nations and much of the Global South.

As part of that effort, India continues to work through the G4 grouping comprising India, Japan, Brazil and Germany, while also coordinating with the L.69 Group and a broad coalition of developing countries from Asia, Africa and Latin America to build support for a more representative Security Council.

India has also intensified engagement with Global South nations on the issue, arguing that reform is essential to improve the legitimacy, credibility and effectiveness of the United Nations system.

Any restructuring of the Security Council would require amendments to the UN Charter, a process that demands broad support among member states as well as approval from the existing permanent members, making reform one of the most challenging institutional changes in international diplomacy.

ANI