During his address at a G7 session in Hiroshima, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the need for reforming the United Nations (UN) and the Security Council. He stated that unless these global bodies adapt to the realities of the present world, they would remain mere “talk shops.” Modi questioned the necessity of other forums discussing matters concerning peace and stability when the UN was originally established to address such challenges.
“It is a matter of analysis, why do we have to talk about peace and stability in different forums? Why is the UN, which was started with the idea of establishing peace, not successful in preventing conflicts today? Modi asked.
“Why, even the definition of terrorism has not been accepted in the UN? If one introspects, one thing is clear. The institutions created in the last century are not in line with the system of the twenty-first century,” he said.
The prime minister said the UN now does not reflect the current realities of the world.
“They do not reflect the realities of the present. That is why it is necessary that reforms should be implemented in big institutions like the UN,” Modi said.
“They will also have to become the voice of the Global South. Otherwise, we will only keep talking about ending the conflicts. The UN and the Security Council will remain just a talk shop,” he said.
India has been actively advocating for the reform of the United Nations (UN), with a particular focus on securing a permanent seat on the UN Security Council (UNSC). Currently, the UNSC consists of five permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term.
The five permanent members, including Russia, the UK, China, France, and the United States, possess veto power over significant resolutions. There is an increasing call to expand the number of permanent members to better represent the present global landscape and its realities.
India, Brazil, South Africa, Germany and Japan are strong contenders for permanent membership of the UNSC which has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security.
