Questioning the Effectiveness of Multilateralism: India’s Ambassador to the UN Raises Concerns

Image Source:LokMatTimes English

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, has questioned the effectiveness of multilateralism in the 21st century during the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Open Debate. Speaking on the topic of “Effective Multilateralism through the Defence of the Principles of UN Charter”, Ambassador Kamboj questioned whether the UN Charter, which gives five nations more power than the remaining 188 member states, can truly promote ‘effective multilateralism’.

Ambassador Kamboj pointed out the inadequacies of the multilateral system that have failed to address contemporary challenges such as the Covid pandemic, ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, terrorism, radicalism, climate justice, and climate action. She also raised concerns about the UN Charter’s principle of “to the victor belong the spoils”, and questioned whether multilateralism could truly be practiced effectively through a body that upholds such a principle.

Additionally, Ambassador Kamboj called for a wider representation of developing countries in the UNSC, emphasizing that perpetuating the 1945 mindset of the UN Charter could lead to a loss of faith in the United Nations. She highlighted the need for major course corrections and reforms to address the challenges faced by multilateral institutions.

India has been a founding signatory to the UN Charter, and Ambassador Kamboj noted that 77 years on, the world’s largest democracy, along with entire continents of Africa and Latin America, are still excluded from global decision-making. She emphasized the need for reforms to widen the representation of developing countries in the UNSC.

Ambassador Kamboj concluded by stating that multilateral institutions rarely die, but simply fade into irrelevance. She called for efforts to bridge the gap between ‘Model UN’ role play and the real world, and for a review conference of the UN Charter to be held before the 10th UN General Assembly.

Re-reported from the story originally published in LokMatTimes English