India calls for UNGA revitalisation through broader reforms

New York: India has said that the revitalisation of the General Assembly must be pursued as part of broader, comprehensive UN reforms to make the organisation more representative, effective, and capable of fulfilling its objectives.

Delivering India’s statement at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) plenary on revitalisation of the work of the General Assembly, BJP MP CP Joshi reiterated India’s call for reforming the United Nations Security Council, including an expansion of membership in elected and permanent categories and stressed that it is essential that the Security Council reflects today’s global realities.

He said, “The revitalisation of the General Assembly must be pursued as part of broader, comprehensive UN reforms to make the organisation more representative, effective, and capable of fulfilling its objectives. The revitalisation of key UN organs cannot be limited to the General Assembly alone.”

Calling for reforming the UNSC, he said, “The Security Council’s inability to effectively discharge its mandate of maintaining international peace and security casts doubt on the functioning of the United Nations as a whole. Effective reform of the Security Council, including an expansion of membership in both permanent and elected categories, can no longer be delayed. It is essential that the Security Council reflects today’s global realities and enables the United Nations to address current challenges.”

Joshi reiterated India’s commitment to strengthening and revitalising the central role of the General Assembly and called for improving the working methods of the UNGA in three areas.

He said, “Regarding working methods, we see scope for improvement in three areas. First, the agenda should be made more practical and manageable. Similar or overlapping topics should be consolidated, and–where appropriate–deliberations on certain subjects could take place at intervals of two or three years. This would allow discussions to be more meaningful, well-considered, and focused.

Second, better coordination, coherence, and complementarity should be ensured among the General Assembly’s Main Committees, as well as between these committees and the plenary sessions of the Assembly. Third, the Human Rights Council was established two decades ago as a subsidiary intergovernmental body of the General Assembly with a specific mandate. Duplicating its work in New York is unnecessary; the process needs to be streamlined.”

Speaking about the selection of the next United Nations Security Council, he said that the process is taking place at a critical juncture as the UN faces serious challenges and called it essential that the best candidate is appointed to this position.

He said, “The selection of the next UN Secretary-General is taking place at a critical juncture. The United Nations is facing serious challenges, and the need for improvement is greater than ever. Geopolitical fragmentation is also undermining the UN’s ability to fulfill its core mandates, particularly the maintenance of international peace and security. In this context, it is essential that the best candidate be appointed to this position. As with appointments to other senior leadership roles within the UN, geographical balance must be a guiding principle of this process. India supports a more significant role for the General Assembly in this process and looks forward to working with other member states to achieve this objective.”

CP Joshi welcomed the progress achieved by adoption of Resolution 79/327 and its recognition of UN 80 as a useful tool for having an efficient, effective, agile and responsive UN, including the UNGA. He underscored the importance of a more manageable agenda, greater coherence among the main Committees and the plenary, and stronger institutional memory and accountability in the Office of the UNGA President.

Reiterating India’s commitment to working with other member states to strengthen the General Assembly, he said, “In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that India will continue to work constructively and in good faith with all member states to strengthen the functioning of the General Assembly.”