India says resistance from some member states is preventing long overdue reforms of the UN Security Council….reports Asian Lite News Desk
India has said that “entrenched interests” among certain United Nations member states are preventing long pending reforms of the UN Security Council, warning that the global body risks losing credibility if it continues to function with an outdated structure rooted in 1945 realities.
Speaking during a debate at the Security Council on “Upholding the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter and Strengthening the UN Centred International System”, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P Harish, said resistance to reform reflected efforts by some countries to preserve the status quo.
“Lack of progress in the Inter Governmental Negotiations on Council reforms is indicative of entrenched interests of several member states to maintain the status quo and retain the eight decade old UNSC architecture,” Harish said on Tuesday.
India has long pushed for expansion of the Security Council’s permanent membership, arguing that the existing structure no longer reflects present day geopolitical realities.
Reforms have been opposed by a group of countries known as Uniting for Consensus, led by Italy and including Pakistan, which has frequently used procedural tactics to stall negotiations on expanding permanent membership.
“We must address and expand the permanent category of membership, which alone will change the decision making process of this Council,” Harish said.
“Not adapting to changed circumstances would further diminish the authority, credibility, legitimacy and effectiveness of the UN Security Council,” he added.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres also acknowledged growing concerns over the Council’s effectiveness and credibility.
“A Security Council that does not reflect the geopolitical realities of today’s world cannot fully deliver on its responsibilities,” Guterres said.
“Global institutions must reflect today’s realities, not those of 1945. Nowhere is this more urgent than in this Council,” he added.
Highlighting Africa’s exclusion from permanent membership, Guterres said reform was necessary to restore the Council’s legitimacy and improve its ability to act decisively.
“Reform is about restoring credibility and better ensuring that this Council can act decisively and inclusively to uphold the Charter,” he said.
Drawing attention to what India sees as the outdated structure of the UN system, Harish compared the organisation’s current framework to obsolete technology.
“The central challenge to the UN today is an architecture that is frozen in the 1940s. It is akin to running advanced AI technologies on the 1945 version of the computer called the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer,” he said.
He argued that adaptability was essential for survival and effectiveness, saying the UN must evolve to remain relevant in a rapidly changing world.
Making India’s case for permanent membership on a reformed Security Council, Harish highlighted the country’s historical role in global peace efforts and its sacrifices during World War II.
He noted that more than 2.5 million Indian soldiers fought alongside Allied forces during the war and over 87,000 lost their lives.
“This was not our war, but we paid dearly for it. Therefore, it was natural for us to become a founding member of the UN,” he said.
India has also continued contributing to global peacekeeping operations, including missions in Korea, Indochina, Congo and Gaza, Harish added.
Referring to divisions among the veto wielding permanent members of the Council, he said growing global calls for greater efficiency and productivity at the UN reflected widespread frustration with paralysis inside the body.
Guterres echoed those concerns, saying divisions among major powers had weakened the Council’s ability to respond effectively to international crises.
“Too often, this Council fails to act with unity and purpose,” he said.
“When the Security Council is divided, the consequences are felt far beyond this Chamber.”
