UNSC becoming increasingly ineffective in confronting key issues: Jaishankar
India's External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar said that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is "like an old club," and its set members don't want to let go of control. During his address at the Rotary Institute 2023 event in Bengaluru on Sunday, Jaishankar said that the UNSC isn't too keen to admit more members, and it's a human failure.
Jaishankar takes aim at UN
Claiming that the "club's" rigidity is harming the world, the EAM added that the United Nations (UN) is getting more and more ineffective in confronting key issues. "If you ask 200 countries...do you want reform or don't you want reform? A very large number of countries would say, yes, we want reform," Jaishankar added. The UNSC has 15 members, but only five are permanent members. They are China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
EAM talks about India's current ties with China
He also spoke about India's relations with neighboring countries, including China. Jaishankar stated that New Delhi would certainly like its relationship with Beijing to be better than it is currently. "But if things have taken a turn for the worse in the last three years, it's not because of us. It is because they have chosen not to observe the agreements on the border," added the external affairs minister.
India's G20 presidency diplomatic achievement of 2023: Jaishankar
Moreover, Jaishankar lauded India's G20 Summit presidency, calling it a diplomatic achievement of the year because "we could get everybody to agree on what we agreed on." He said that through its G20 presidency, India managed to get the world's most powerful countries to show a new commitment to sustainable development and promoting green growth.
Saw rapidity of Indian health system during COVID-19 pandemic: EAM
Lastly, the EAM spoke about the COVID-19 pandemic, describing it as a "once-in-a-century happening." Jaishankar added that it was during the pandemic that he saw the rapidity of the Indian health system. "As a society, as a nation, we were able to cope with it and meet the challenging capacities at a very rapid pace," he said.
