The United Nations commences the 75th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
Now more than ever, the need for internal reforms to suit the 21st century is high.
What is the demand?
Volkan Bozkir is the Turkish diplomat who is the incoming President of the UNGA.
He has voiced concern that the structure of the 15-member UN Security Council (UNSC) ought to be more democratic and representative.
Why is the demand long overdue?
The action has been long overdue on the demand, especially from the G4 countries, which advocate a permanent seat for all of them.
[G4 countries - Brazil, Germany, India and Japan]
Meanwhile, the veto powers that the UNSC’s five permanent members enjoy are an anachronism in this age.
This is wielded as a blunt weapon to shore up their geopolitical interests, regardless of the disastrous cost for the victims of armed conflict.
When did the demand get a momentum?
The push for reform gathered momentum following the unilateral declaration of war by the US and the UK, against Iraq, in 2003.
The UNGA’s 122nd plenary meeting (2008) decided to facilitate the reform process through the Inter-Governmental Negotiations framework (IGN) on equitable representation as well as expansion of the UNSC.
The UNGA’s adoption of a 2015 resolution to allow the IGN on the basis of a framework document generated some enthusiasm.
But, it was dampened by the U.S., Russia and China being opposed to serious reform of the Council.
In early-2020, the G4 bemoaned that the IGN process might have outlived its purpose given the absence of a negotiating document.
In any case, the exercise has been deferred in view of the pandemic.
Will India be a permanent member soon?
India’s election in June 2020 as a non-permanent member of the UNSC, obtaining 184 votes, was a diplomatic triumph.
But the reforms to the UN are just a part of a broader vision in the declaration to commemorate the UNGA’s 75th anniversary.
This will make it difficult for India to achieve its ultimate objective to become a permanent member.
What is next?
The UN remains unreflective of the current trajectory, especially in the strategic and economic arenas.
The multilateral framework now faces a challenge to fashion a collective response to humanity’s biggest problems, which include the pandemic.
The post-war order faces an existential threat to its stability from the revival of nationalism across the globe.
All countries must have the voice to influence policy.
