'80-year-old architecture... ineffective in tackling global conflicts': India renews call for UN reforms

India has renewed its demand for urgent reforms in the United Nations, saying the global body is no longer equipped to deal with present-day challenges and its current structure has failed to effectively respond to conflicts across the world.

Speaking at the Ministerial Roundtable on 'Making Multilateralism Fit for the Future', India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, said the UN Security Council's inability to meaningfully intervene in ongoing conflicts has raised serious questions about its effectiveness in maintaining international peace and security.

Calling for comprehensive institutional reforms, India said global governance bodies must reflect contemporary realities rather than continue to function under an architecture designed nearly eight decades ago.

'80-year-old architecture' no longer works

In his address, Ambassador Parvathaneni said the starting point for making multilateralism relevant in the 21st century is ensuring that international institutions represent today's geopolitical and economic realities.

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He said this requires comprehensive reforms of the UN Security Council, revitalisation of the General Assembly and a stronger role for the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in advancing sustainable development across economic, social and environmental sectors.

"The underlying reason for inadequacies of the Security Council is evident. An 80-year-old architecture designed for the 1940s is ill-equipped to address contemporary challenges," he said.

According to India, public confidence in the United Nations has weakened because the Security Council has repeatedly failed to respond effectively to major global conflicts.

"The Security Council has been ineffective in putting an end to human suffering among the affected populations," Parvathaneni said, adding that the UN's founding objective of maintaining international peace and security has increasingly been called into question.

India criticises slow pace of Security Council reforms

India also expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in reforming the Security Council, saying discussions have remained confined to procedural debates under the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) framework.

"The discussions so far have been limited to an endless cycle of prepared statements under the IGN framework," the ambassador said.

Referring to the UN's Pact for the Future, he noted that Action Points 39 to 41, which deal with Security Council reforms through the IGN process, have "largely remained on paper."

"This is untenable and must change," he said.

Parvathaneni also pointed out that India had reservations about these action points because they were drafted by the IGN co-chairs rather than the Pact's co-facilitators. However, he said India supported the broader agreement in a constructive spirit.

Calls for reforms in global financial institutions

Beyond reforms at the UN, India also called for changes to the international financial architecture, saying developing countries need greater representation and easier access to affordable and predictable financing.

Parvathaneni said international financial institutions must become more representative, responsive and development-oriented while continuing to fulfil their existing mandates.

He stressed that adequate financing remains essential for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly for developing nations facing growing economic and climate-related challenges.

India reiterates commitment to global governance reforms

Concluding his remarks, the Indian envoy said New Delhi would continue to support all genuine efforts aimed at reforming global governance institutions, including the UN Security Council and international financial institutions.

"Our joint endeavour must be to make these institutions fit for purpose, equipped to handle the present and future challenges of humanity," he said.

India has consistently argued that the current structure of the Security Council no longer reflects the realities of the modern world and has repeatedly called for expansion of both its permanent and non-permanent membership to make the UN more representative, effective and credible.