UN Reform Urged by India Minister

UN Reform Needs: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar highlighted the need for UN reform during his address at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, noting that the organization is “gridlocked” due to conflicts, lack of resources, and terrorism.

India's Role: Jaishankar emphasized India’s readiness to take on greater responsibilities in the UN, including expanding the Security Council's membership and enhancing peacekeeping roles. He articulated three guiding concepts for India in its global engagement:

• Atmanirbharta (self-reliance),
• Atma raksha (self-defence),
• Atma vishwas (self-confidence).

Addressing Terrorism: Jaishankar condemned Pakistan as a hub of terror, indicating that it is “an epicentre of terrorism” and urged for stringent measures against terrorist financing, while referencing India’s right to defend against terrorism in the context of the Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22.

Global Challenges: The minister underscored significant global challenges, including conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, tariff uncertainty, food and energy security issues, and the slow progress toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Calls for Dialogue: On international conflicts, particularly in Gaza and Ukraine, Jaishankar advocated for dialogue and resolution, reiterating India’s position to support any initiatives to restore peace and calling upon nations capable of mediation to take action.

Geopolitical Dynamics: He asserted that India's foreign policy will maintain freedom of choice and be a voice for the Global South, countering pressure to conform to various geopolitical blocs.