Reinventing the UN

External Affairs minister S Jaishankar expressed his disappointment that India is not yet granted permanent membership in the UN Security Council, comparing it to an old club with members who are unwilling to give up their position or have their ways questioned.

Speaking at the event "A decade of change," organised by the Rotary Institute, he stated that nations are seeking urgent reforms in the UN since it is unfair if "you don't want to change the original promoters of the business."

He went on to provide an example: "Consider a business that has expanded four times. However, you don't want to replace the company's original promoter. It's not fair", Mr Jaishankar remarked.

The minister added that it has become clear that India needs to be a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the apex body with veto powers.

In response to a query about when India will be granted a permanent membership in the UN Security Council, Jaishankar stated, "It should be done at the earliest as the nation with highest population without which it is detrimental to the world now because of the major difficulties that the UN is facing, though it is a human failure in some ways. But given the major problems the world is currently facing and the UN's declining effectiveness, I believe it is hurting the globe today."

Expressing confidence on the rising relevance of BRICs, he stated "I think it will rise and become bigger because we have decided to invite six additional countries to join BRICS the next time around. Given that there are more than 200 countries in the world and a wide variety of cultural traditions, the world's diversity could be a good reason for this expansion”, he quipped.