UN Security Council reforms urgent as 80-year-old body loses relevance: India

India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, has underscored the need for Security Council reforms, contending that the 80-year-old organisation faces mounting challenges in delivering peace if its primary decision-making body remains unreformed.

Parvathaneni argued that an organisation unable to renew its principal organ will find it progressively harder to command authority in a world that has fundamentally transformed since the UN's founding in 1945. His remarks reflect India's long-standing position that the Security Council's structure and composition no longer reflect contemporary global realities and power dynamics.

The Indian envoy's comments align with New Delhi's broader advocacy for UN reform, particularly regarding permanent membership expansion to include nations from the Global South. India has consistently argued that the Council's current composition, dominated by post-World War II power arrangements, limits its effectiveness in addressing modern geopolitical challenges and regional conflicts.

The Security Council's inability to reach consensus on multiple contemporary crises has been cited by reform advocates as evidence of institutional paralysis. India's intervention highlights growing pressure on the UN to undertake structural changes to enhance legitimacy and operational effectiveness in addressing 21st-century security challenges.