By *Sandeep Chachra | Joseph Mathai
The Indian External Affairs minister recently described the United Nations (UN) as an old company that is not entirely keeping up with the market. The UN has been essentially reduced to a bystander in two serious ongoing conflicts. It is an effective comparison, but there is a danger of stretching the metaphor too far.
India joined the UN on October 30, 1945, and we transitioned from an occupied nation to a sovereign state while maintaining our position as one of the 51 founding members. Even before India’s independence, several Indians played critical roles in shaping the early years of the UN. They contributed to its mission, particularly in international diplomacy, human rights and social welfare. India has long since participated actively in the organization’s initiatives, contributing to peacekeeping missions, advocating for global disarmament, and supporting international development efforts. If the UN is losing relevance, India and the 193 other member states share part of the responsibility.
Despite the recent challenges, it will be a historical fallacy to undermine the role of the UN. It remains an essential platform for diplomatic negotiation and conflict resolution. Its peacekeeping missions have had notable successes in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and East Timor, helping stabilize post-conflict zones and prevent escalation. The UN’s promotion of human rights, mainly through the work of the Human Rights Council and various specialized agencies, has increased awareness and global standards. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) remains one of the most significant milestones in human rights protection, inspiring numerous treaties and national laws. The UN has advocated for sustainable development, with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) serving as a blueprint for global action. Through agencies like the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN has worked to address poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation globally. The UN has a long-standing reputation for delivering humanitarian aid after natural disasters, armed conflicts, and pandemics. Agencies like the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF provide critical relief to millions of people in crises worldwide.
At the same time, the real challenges the UN faces in fulfilling its primary mission to maintain global peace and security cannot be ignored. In West Asia, despite resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in the UN General Assembly in October 2023 and in the UN Security Council in February and March 2024, the conflict zone has expanded to cover Yemen, Lebanon and Iran. While both Israel and Hamas have voiced concerns and accusations regarding violations of international law, Israel’s antipathy to the UN seems to hold no bounds. In early October, Israel’s foreign minister, Israel Katz, announced that the United Nations secretary-general, António Guterres, was persona non grata, an unacceptable person banned from setting foot in Israel. This was followed by Israel Defence Forces (IDF) attacks on posts of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL).
Israel appears so encouraged by the unstinting support received by the United States, the United Kingdom and substantial sections of the European Union that it disregards calls for restraint issued even by its allies. The UN’s ineffectiveness in resolving the ongoing West Asian crisis can be laid on the shoulders of Israel’s allies that have blocked all attempts by the UN to resolve the issue.
This is because of the power imbalances built into the very structure of the UN Security Council, with its five permanent members (the US, UK, France, China, and Russia) holding veto power. The veto power allows these countries to block resolutions, sometimes for their geopolitical interests, undermining the UN’s impartiality and the broader principle of equality among nations.
There is a growing consensus that the UN needs significant reform to remain relevant today. Calls for restructuring the Security Council, improving the efficiency of its humanitarian and development agencies, and increasing accountability in peacekeeping missions have been made for decades, but progress has been slow. Without reform, the UN risks losing its legitimacy and effectiveness in addressing modern challenges.
The UN Summit of the Future, held in September 2024, aimed to address global governance challenges and create a framework for more effective multilateral cooperation. The summit’s centrepiece was the adoption of the Pact for the Future, which focuses on transforming international cooperation in crucial areas like peace and security, sustainable development, digital governance, and climate action. The key outcomes include underscoring the need for reform in the UN Security Council, acceleration of efforts towards nuclear disarmament and technology governance, sustainable development, the need for a Global Digital Compact for the fair use of technology and global governance of digital innovations and a declaration on Future Generations, ensuring that the needs of future generations are considered in policy creation.
Amongst leaders of the Global South, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva distinguished himself by highlighting the Pact for the Future as a document addressing critical global challenges. Lula was critical of the current state of multilateral institutions, stating that bodies like the UN Security Council and Bretton Woods institutions no longer reflect the realities of the modern world, particularly for the Global South, which remains underrepresented. He emphasized the importance of addressing hunger, climate change, and gender equality, warning that backsliding on these commitments would be unacceptable. President Lula expressed great hope in the future roles of the reformed Peacebuilding Commission and the Human Rights Council.
Compared to its previous avatar, the League of Nations, we must acknowledge that the United Nations has fared much better. It has a broader mandate and more inclusive membership, and its longevity and adaptability have made it a much more robust institution. The West Asian conflict clearly shows that the role of the big powers within the UN and all forms of global governance has been more to further their own economic and political interests. Hope for a reformed UN can only come from an energized Global South, empowered by Global Social Movements for peace and justice.
*Sandeep is the Executive Director, and Joseph is the Head of Communications. Both are with ActionAid Association. The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of ActionAid Association. Sandeep seldom writes for Prensa Latina English News Service.
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