Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar has expressed confidence that the United Nations (UN) Security Council will undergo a reform despite attempts by forces blocking these changes.
“From the perspective of democratization of global governance, I am sure that the change will take place,” he remarked during a G-20 related event at Delhi University.
The top Indian diplomat highlighted that the Johannesburg II Declaration issued after the BRICS Summit in South Africa this month called for a “comprehensive reform of the UN” and an increasing the “representation of developing countries in the Security Council’s memberships”.
“Recently, there has been change in the position of BRICS too. It for the first time stated that the Security Council memberships should undergo a change. History is on our side. The UN will change,” Jaishankar stated.
The Indian foreign minister noted that the current UN architecture was formed in the 1940s during the final years of World War II.
“At the time, only 50 countries were part of the UN. The UN membership has since expanded by almost four times. How is it possible that the same members who commanded the UN back then would run an organization of 200 countries? So, this reform will definitely happen,” Jaishankar stressed.
‘UN Credibility Being Affected’
Jaishankar expressed concern that the lack of reforms in expanding the Security Council’s membership base was affecting the credibility of the UN.
"The present UN Security Council membership doesn’t comprise any African nation or a Latin American nation. How long could you keep out the world’s fifth biggest economy and the most populous country (India)?” the Indian minister questioned.
Without naming any country in particular, Jaishankar criticized the UNSC members for resisting the expansion of the council.
“Countries which have been in charge at the UN think it’s their right to be there. But the other countries don’t agree with that,” he said.