UN stuck in 1945: Jaishankar calls for urgent overhaul or risk total collapse

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the United Nations' framework and operations are still aligned with the realities of 1945, rendering it ineffective in addressing the challenges of 2025. Speaking at the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs' Conclave, Jaishankar called for immediate reform, urging that the UN must adapt to remain relevant in today's global order.

"I've just come back from New York after attending the 80th UN General Assembly. Let me share with you some key insights from that experience. One, the United Nations today still reflects the realities of 1945, not of 2025. 80 years is a long time by any standards and during this period, the UN membership has actually quadrupled," Jaishankar said.

He warned that institutions failing to evolve risk not just irrelevance but a loss of legitimacy, leaving nations vulnerable during times of global uncertainty. "Two, institutions that fail to adapt risk irrelevance. Not just irrelevance, but eroding legitimacy and leaving us without recourse in times of uncertainty," Jaishankar added.

Jaishankar also stated that for the UN to be effective, it must become more inclusive, democratic, and representative of the current global order. "The UN's legitimacy, and the UN's credibility, depends on it doing so," he said.

In his annual UNGA address last month, Jaishankar noted that the UN's growth and the global challenges it faces—such as climate change, food security, and ongoing conflicts — reveal a body unable to meet the expectations of the modern world. He highlighted the importance of restructuring the UN to address these pressing issues and ensure it remains fit for purpose in the 21st century.

"An objective report card will show that the UN is in a state of crisis. When peace is under threat from conflicts, when development is derailed by lack of resources, when human rights are violated by terrorism, the UN remains gridlocked," the foreign minister said. "As its ability to forge common ground diminishes, belief in multilateralism also recedes."

Central to the erosion of UN's credibility has been resistance to reform, Jaishankar had pointed out. "Most members strongly desire change; but the process is being made an obstacle to the outcome. It is imperative that we see through this cynicism and purposefully address the reform agenda," he said. "The historical injustice done to Africa should be redressed. Both permanent and non-permanent membership of the Council must be expanded. A reformed Council must be truly representative. And India stands ready to assume greater responsibilities."