India’s Ambassador R Ravindra Calls for Reform at United Nations Security Council
New York [US], July 17: India has urged the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to recommit to time-bound negotiations for reforming the council. Ambassador R Ravindra criticized the manipulation of the council’s mechanisms by major countries and groups, calling it harmful to the multilateral spirit.
India’s Position on Reformed Multilateralism
Ambassador R Ravindra stated, “The primary reason the multilateral system has failed to deliver is that it is still stuck in a 1945 vintage binary outlook reflected clearly in the composition of this Security Council. The core of India’s position on reformed multilateralism, therefore, lies in a call for the reform of the UN Security Council that is reflective of contemporary realities of today.”
Call for Recommitment
He further emphasized the need for recommitment to time-bound negotiations on UNSC reforms, asserting, “Sabotaging of negotiating processes and mechanisms by big countries or groups in the narrow interest of their own positions is detrimental to the multilateral spirit and must be called out wherever necessary.”
Challenges and Multipolarity
The diplomat highlighted that multipolarity is here to stay and pointed out the UN’s inability to respond to complex global challenges such as terrorism, pandemics, climate change, emerging technologies, cyberattacks, and the disruptive role of non-state actors.
India’s Role in Global Reforms
India, a founding member of the UN in 1945, has been a vocal advocate for reforming the UNSC. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continuously raised this issue on the global stage. During the G20 Leaders Summit, PM Modi reiterated the need for global systems to reflect the “realities of the present,” using the UNSC as an example.
PM Modi noted, “When the UN was established, the world at that time was completely different from today. At that time, there were 51 founding members in the UN. Today the number of countries included in the UN is around 200. Despite this, the permanent members in UNSC are still the same.”
Doubts Revealed
Ambassador -: An ambassador is a person who represents their country in another country or at an international organization. They work to maintain good relationships and discuss important issues.
R Ravindra -: R Ravindra is a person who represents India at the United Nations. He is India’s ambassador, which means he speaks on behalf of India in important meetings.
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) -: The UNSC is a group within the United Nations that works to keep peace and security in the world. It has 15 members, but only 5 of them are permanent and have special powers.
Reform -: Reform means to make changes to something in order to improve it. In this context, it means changing how the UNSC works to make it better and fairer.
Time-bound negotiations -: Time-bound negotiations are discussions that have a set time limit. This means the talks need to be completed within a certain period.
Manipulation -: Manipulation means controlling or influencing something in a way that is unfair or dishonest. Here, it means some countries are using the UNSC’s rules to their own advantage.
Multilateral spirit -: Multilateral spirit means working together with many countries to solve problems. It is about cooperation and fairness among nations.
Founding member -: A founding member is one of the original members who helped to start an organization. India was one of the countries that helped to create the United Nations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi -: Narendra Modi is the current Prime Minister of India. He is the leader of the Indian government and makes important decisions for the country.
Contemporary realities -: Contemporary realities mean the current situation or the way things are today. It refers to the modern world and its challenges.
Composition -: Composition means the way something is made up or the parts that make it. In this case, it refers to the members of the UNSC and how they are chosen.
