New York City: India has issued a stern warning to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), cautioning against a “path of oblivion and irrelevance” if urgent reforms are not implemented within the system. Ruchira Kamboj, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, delivered the warning during the UNGA, highlighting the 25-year lapse since world leaders pledged reforms at the Millennium Summit in 2000.
Addressing an informal meeting on the necessary reforms within the Security Council, Kamboj stressed that future generations “can no longer afford to wait”.
The Indian representative proposed a more inclusive approach for the UNSC, advocating that limiting the expansion solely to non-permanent members could exacerbate disparities in its composition. “We must push forward a reform heeding the voices of the young and future generations, including from Africa, where the demand to correct historical injustice grows even stronger. Otherwise, we simply risk sending the council down the path of oblivion and irrelevance,” Ms. Kamboj stated.
Echoing India’s call for greater inclusivity in the Security Council, G4 countries – Brazil, Germany, and Japan – emphasized the importance of reflecting the diversity and plurality of views across the United Nations.
Kamboj urged other member states of the United Nations to ensure that the diversity of the General Assembly is mirrored in the Security Council as well. “Member states should also make full use of the possibility of cross-regional arrangements to ensure that the diversity of the General Assembly membership is adequately reflected in the Council,” Kamboj remarked.
This isn’t the first time a plea for urgent reform within the Security Council has been voiced. Last year, UNGA President Dennis Francis also highlighted the pressing need for reforms, citing the UNSC’s prolonged “state of paralysis.”
Francis’s remarks came in the wake of failed resolutions in the UNSC concerning a ceasefire in Gaza. The UNGA President emphasized that the Security Council’s failure to fulfill its mandate compromises the credibility of the United Nations.
