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The Prime Minister of India addressed the ‘Summit of the Future’ conference at the United Nations.
The Prime Minister of India highlighted the need for global institutional reforms to ensure peace and development. He said humanity’s success depends on collective strength rather than conflict, referencing ongoing global conflicts such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
He stressed that reforms in global institutions are essential for maintaining relevance and achieving international peace. He indicated that including the African Union as a permanent member of the G-20 at the New Delhi Summit was a significant step towards this goal.
He said that India has strongly advocated for UN reforms, particularly expanding the Security Council to include more permanent members representing regions like Africa and India.
He highlighted emerging threats in cyber, maritime, and space domains and called for global digital governance to ensure national security and integrity.
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The UN recently adopted the ‘Pact for the Future,’ an action plan addressing 21st-century challenges. This pact includes a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations, covering topics like UN reform, human rights, digital cooperation, and AI governance. |
The main objective behind the demand for United Nations (UN) reforms is strengthening the organisation's structure, efficiency, effectiveness, and representation. Reforms are required to make the UN Security Council more democratic and representative, improve coordination among different UN agencies, and increase accountability and transparency.
The UN must improve its ability to respond swiftly and effectively to global crises. This includes streamlining processes, increasing transparency, and enhancing accountability.
About the United Nations (UN)The United Nations (UN) was founded in 1945 after World War II to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, and achieve international cooperation. The UN consists of six central bodies: the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council, the International Court of Justice, the UN Secretariat, and the Trusteeship Council (which has been inactive since 1994). The UN System also includes specialised agencies like the World Bank Group, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, UNESCO, and UNICEF. The General Assembly represents all 193 member states. Each country has one vote, and the assembly discusses and works on international issues covered by the UN Charter. Security Council is responsible for maintaining international peace and security. It has 15 members, including five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) with veto power. The UN is headquartered in New York City, USA. |
The structure of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) reflects the power dynamics of the post-World War II world. The five permanent members (P5)—the United States, United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia—have veto power and can block decisions, regardless of the majority vote. This veto power leads to political deadlock.
The United Nations has been criticized for delays in decision-making and an overburdened bureaucracy. Many agencies perform similar functions, leading to inefficiencies and wastage of funds. For example, the World Food Program (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) often have joint mandates. This limits organizations' ability to quickly respond to global challenges such as pandemics and climate disasters.
The United Nations depends mainly on certain developed countries to finance its activities. The United States supports more than 20% of the UN budget, giving it disproportionate power over the budget. This financial dependence sometimes forces the United Nations to serve the interests of donor countries instead of acting neutral.
The United Nations has been struggling to solve emerging global problems such as cyber threats. terrorism and climate change
Increase the number of permanent and non-permanent members of the Security Council. As the Council's composition has remained unchanged since 1945, countries such as India, Brazil, and Africa should be given permanent approval to demonstrate their increasing global importance.
Eliminating veto power or improving regional representation would give each region around the world a voice in key decisions. This could be achieved by giving permanent seats to countries from underrepresented areas, such as Africa and Latin America.
The General Assembly lacks the power to implement resolutions; to function more effectively, it must streamline its procedures, grant it more authority, and strengthen the influence of its resolutions. This would ensure that the global community's collective will have a more significant impact on UN decisions.
The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) monitors economic, social, and environmental issues, making it an essential organisation for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). However, ECOSOC must better coordinate its activities with other UN bodies and international organisations to lead countries toward attaining the SDGs by 2030.
UN peacekeeping missions must clearly define specific goals and objectives for missions to ensure that peacekeepers understand what they are doing. Improved funding mechanisms will help ensure that peacekeeping forces have the equipment and support they need to operate successfully.
Simplifying the UN system and eliminating redundant agencies will improve efficiency. A greater focus on accountability and performance-based outcomes can ensure that resources are properly used.
The UN should explore new funding sources, such as a global carbon tax or a tax on international financial activities. To reduce dependency on some donor countries. The diversified funding source will allow the UN to remain independent from the influence of the major donor countries.
The United Nations must continue to address growing challenges, including cyber crimes terrorism and climate change. For example, UN agencies dedicated to cybersecurity can help countries in dealing with cross-border digital threats.
The United Nations must be reformed to remain relevant in an evolving world. Challenges ranging from outdated power structures to inefficiency have prompted an urgent need for change. The UN can strengthen its ability to keep up with global crises by expanding the Security Council, reducing bureaucracy, restricting veto power, and diversifying finance.
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Critically analyze the effectiveness of the United Nations in addressing global crises. What structural reforms are necessary to enhance its responsiveness and efficiency in conflict resolution and humanitarian aid? (250 Words) |
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