Those enjoying benefits of permanent membership clearly not in hurry to see U.N. reforms: Jaishankar

India has been at the forefront of efforts at the U.N. to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addresses the media in Vienna, Austria on January 2, 2023. | Photo Credit: Reuters

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has slammed the slow pace of the U.N. reforms, saying those who are enjoying the benefits of permanent membership are not in a hurry to see reforms.

India has been at the forefront of efforts at the U.N. to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the U.N. high table as a permanent member.

“You will have a situation when the world’s most populous country is not among the permanent members of the security council, what does it say about the state of the U.N.,” Mr. Jaishankar said in an interview to Austria’s national broadcaster ORF on January 2.

When asked how long will it take until this reform of the U.N. Security Council, he said, “...those who are today enjoying the benefits of permanent membership clearly are not in a hurry to see reform. I think it’s a very short-sighted view... Because at the end of the day, the credibility of the U.N. and their own interests and effectiveness are at stake.”

“So my sense is, it will take some time, hopefully not too much time. I can see a growing body of opinion among U.N. members who believe that they must be changed. It’s not just us,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

The five permanent members are Russia, the U.K., China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any substantive resolution.

“You have entire Africa and Latin America left out, with developing countries vastly under-represented. This was an organisation invented in 1945. It’s 2023,” he added.

He further said that we should, “increase the feeling in the wide parts of the world that this reform is absolutely essential”. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality.

Mr. Jaishankar arrived in Austria from Cyprus and is on the second leg of his two-nation tour.

This is the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, and it takes place against the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2023.

On January 1, while addressing members of the Indian diaspora here in the Austrian capital, Mr. Jaishankar said a 77-year-old organisation like the United Nations needs a “refresh”, asserting that pushing for a major overhaul in the top global body is an important part of New Delhi’s foreign policy.