The United Nations completes 70 years of its establishment in 2015. What reforms is india asking for to strengthen the global institutions of governance and why? (UPSC CSE Mains 2015- Political Science and International Relations, Paper 2)
India was one of the founding members of the UN in 1945 and played an active role in the drafting of the UN Charter. As the world has evolved in the 21st century, the UN''s structure, decision-making processes, and effectiveness have come under scrutiny. Consequently, reforms within the structure of the UN are imperative to bolster its efficacy as a multilateral organization, enhance transparency, and boost its credibility.
Over the years, India has consistently demonstrated its commitment to global peace, security, and development through its participation in UN peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance programs, and contributions to various UN agencies.
- Reforming UNSC: As former UN secretary general noted that “No reform of the UN would be complete without reform of the Security Council”. Therefore, equitable representation as well as expansion of the UNSC is the desired reform that India envisages. However, this would be the most challenging aspect of UN reforms, as the most permanent five are generally opposed to strengthening the institution and use their power to stop any significant change. While the UNSC was dysfunctional, India developed a multilateral agenda of its own — from decolonisation and disarmament to a new international economic order — and mobilised considerable political support for it. This underlines the possibilities for shaping the global discourse in the present.
- Engaging With Other Multilateral Forums For UN Reforms: Possible solutions to reform UN finances can be establishing a ‘reserve fund’ or even a ‘world tax’. Also, in order to make UNGA more effective, India can propose a bicameral parliamentary assembly framework for UNGA.
- Balancing National Interest and Multilateralism: The primary objective of India’s present multilateralism should be to ensure its territorial integrity, especially at a time when China has adopted aggressive posture on the border. Here, India can leverage multilateralism to serve India’s interests. Like aligning with Quad countries or working with mechanisms like FATF to mount pressure on Pakistan to stop supporting cross-border terrorism in India. Further, while reclaiming its role in the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), India must engage with other multilateral institutions as new rule-making as India is not at disadvantage if rule making takes place outside the UN.
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