UNSC failures show urgency of reform as Global South bears brunt of crises, says Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar Wednesday said the Global South was at the receiving end of “unprecedented changes” sweeping the world, arguing that the UN Security Council’s inability to effectively address ongoing conflicts and threats to international peace had made its reform increasingly urgent.

Jaishankar made the remarks while co-chairing the L.69 Consultative Ministerial Interaction on UN Security Council reform with Saint Lucia Foreign Minister Alva Baptiste at India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. The meeting brought together countries that have long sought changes in the composition and functioning of the Security Council, with India maintaining that continued delays in reform perpetuate a “historical injustice”.

UN falling short of expectations

Jaishankar said the current international environment had exposed limitations in the functioning of the UN system, particularly for developing countries that often bear a disproportionate impact of geopolitical conflicts, economic disruption and instability.

“The inability of UN Security Council to address ongoing conflicts & threats to international peace & security only highlight the urgency of reform,” Jaishankar said.

His remarks came amid renewed calls at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly for the Security Council to reflect contemporary geopolitical realities rather than the global power structure that existed when the United Nations was established in 1945.

India has consistently argued that the credibility and effectiveness of the Council are undermined by the under-representation of developing countries, particularly those from Africa, Asia and Latin America.

The Security Council currently has 15 members — five permanent members with veto powers and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. India has sought expansion in both permanent and non-permanent categories and has pressed its case for permanent membership in an expanded Council.

L.69 and African nations join forces

The L.69 grouping brings together developing countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific that support comprehensive reform of the Security Council.

Jaishankar said countries directly affected by shortcomings in the existing system needed to work together to sustain pressure for change.

“As directly impacted stakeholders, L.69 and C.10 members join forces to keep pushing for UNSC reform,” he said.

The engagement with the C.10 reflected efforts to coordinate the positions of developing countries, particularly on the long-standing demand for greater African representation on the Council.

Africa remains without a permanent seat on the Security Council despite accounting for more than a quarter of UN member states. The issue has increasingly become central to discussions on reform, with India repeatedly backing greater representation for Africa and the broader Global South.

India pushes representation

New Delhi has argued that institutions created eight decades ago cannot effectively respond to present-day challenges without reflecting changes in global economic and political influence.

The reform process has, however, remained stalled for decades amid disagreements among UN members over the size of an expanded Council, the creation of new permanent seats and the future of veto powers.

India has maintained that delaying substantive negotiations only deepens the representation deficit and weakens confidence in multilateral institutions.

Jaishankar’s intervention also came against the backdrop of wider concerns over the UN Security Council’s response to continuing conflicts around the world. Differences among the permanent members have repeatedly complicated efforts to arrive at common positions on major security crises.

For India and other members of the L.69, those divisions have strengthened the argument that reform should extend beyond expanding membership and address the broader question of how the Council can become more representative and effective.

Jaishankar arrived in New York Sunday and is leading the Indian delegation at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where reform of multilateral institutions and stronger representation for the Global South have figured prominently in India’s diplomatic engagements.