United Nations: Amid ongoing geopolitical challenges, India said the United Nations is not perceived as an organisation that delivers on international peace, and discussions have moved on to parallel plurilateral frameworks.
The multilateralism of universal membership, with the United Nations at its core, is under strain. The challenges facing this organisation go far beyond the budgetary realm. Paralysis and lack of effectiveness in tackling conflicts remain a significant shortcoming, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish said Monday.
In remarks to the UN Security Council Open Debate on ‘Reaffirming International Rule of Law Pathways to Reinvigorating Peace, Justice, and Multilateralism’, Harish said people around the world do not perceive the United Nations as an organisation that delivers on international peace and security.
Conversations and discussions have moved on to parallel plurilateral frameworks, some even involving private sector actors, to bring about outcomes on peace and security outside the United Nations framework, he said.
India’s statement comes against the backdrop of the continued failure of the UN and its most powerful organ – the Security Council – to prevent and resolve global geo-political conflicts and maintain international peace and security.
Amidst this, US President Donald Trump has launched his ‘Board of Peace’ on Gaza, which is perceived as a rival to the UN.
Trump invited several global leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to join the Board of Peace that will work towards bringing lasting peace to Gaza and embark on a bold new approach to resolve global conflict.
In a ceremony in Davos last week on the margins of the World Economic Forum, Trump formally ratified the Charter of the Board of Peace – establishing it as an official international organisation.
Trump will serve as the Board’s Chairman, and the countries that signed and joined the Charter of the Board of Peace are Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Hungary, Indonesia, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Morocco, Pakistan, Paraguay, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the UAE and Uzbekistan.
Harish added that the application of the international rule of law calls for consistency, objectivity and predictability with no double standards.
India said the international rule of law should not be weaponised to question state sovereignty and interfere in the internal affairs of states.
International law principles from the colonial era that have helped in self-determination and the emergence of new member states from colonial rule should not be weaponised to attack the unity and territorial integrity of states, Harish said.
Contexts and situations are ever changing, and if multilateralism treats outcomes and solutions as immutable and cast in stone and unable to pragmatically adapt to change, it would be an impetus for alternate formats of engagement to emerge, Harish said.
Harish underlined that India upholds the rule of law as a cornerstone of its national governance, enshrined in its Constitution and reinforced through the independence of its judiciary and initiatives that expand access to justice.
These deep roots of the rule of law in India at the national level inform and guide our commitment towards the rule of Law at the international level, he said.
At the Security Council, India asserted that the rule of law is barren without enforceability. The focus must shift from arcane constructs to pragmatic solutions and outcomes that positively impact the daily lives of our citizens, Harish said.
He said the world is changing and transforming at a rapid pace across different domains. The legal and institutional framework governing the international rule of law must keep up with this rapidly transforming landscape. Continuous review, updation and reinvigoration are imperative to avoid obsolescence, he said.
Emphasising that for multilateralism and international rule of law to remain effective and credible, India said global governance structures must evolve to reflect contemporary realities.
The current architecture of the United Nations, particularly the composition of the Security Council, reflects a geopolitical reality of a bygone era. In light of the profound global transformation of the last eight decades in power dynamics, demographics and the nature of global challenges, there is an urgent and compelling need to undertake comprehensive reform, including expansion in the permanent and non-permanent categories, he said.
He further said that such reform is essential to enhance the Council’s legitimacy and ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness in addressing the present-day challenges.
Further, India said identifying and building on synergies among the principal organs of the UN would help in advancing the rule of law.
This could result in greater alignment between mandates, avoiding duplication, and leading to enhanced impact. Process-oriented reforms are instrumental for achieving these ends. Predictable and adequate resource provision, capacity-building and technical assistance tailored to local contexts are key elements of these reforms.
