The need for reform of the United Nations Security Council has been underlined on many occasions.
Recently, the Prime Minister of India also stressed the need for this from the platform of the G20 Summit.
Earlier, the President of the United Nations General Assembly had said that the structure of the Security Council should be changed, because this institution has now almost lost its relevance.
He said this in view of the Russia-Ukraine war. While addressing the United Nations General Assembly last year, US President Joe Biden also said that this institution should be made more inclusive, so that it can better meet the needs of today’s world.
The number of both permanent and invited members in the Security Council should be increased. These should also include countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
India has reiterated this on many occasions, but this time since the Prime Minister said this from the platform of the G20 summit, it has a different meaning.
In fact, the nature of the world has changed very rapidly, in which only a few countries cannot stand in the line of the powerful and turn a blind eye to the realities of the new world.
G20 is a big example of how the so-called developed nations eventually had to include the developing or third world countries as well.
Since the formation of the United Nations Security Council, the number of its member countries has increased four times, but the main negotiators in it are the same five countries which were kept in the beginning.
Those five countries have permanent membership and they can form whatever opinion they want on any issue and take whatever decision they want. They are seen trying to balance their mutual interests.
If any issue hurts the self-interest of any of them, then he uses his privilege to prevent a consensus on that issue.
Thus, it has been seen on many occasions that when a country is seen imposing war on another country and violating the rules of the United Nations Charter, then the Security Council remains silent.
This was also clearly seen in the war waged by Russia against Ukraine. Since Russia itself is a member of the Security Council, no strictness from the Security Council can be expected against it.
The Security Council, however, consists of fifteen members, of which five are permanent and ten are non- permanent, elected for two-year terms. But whenever any important decision has to be taken, only the consent of the permanent members is valid.
Those five countries are America, China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom. Whereas now India, Brazil, Germany, African group of fifty-four countries etc hold more importance in the geopolitical and economic scenario of the world.
Due to them not being given permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council, there is a clear imbalance in the decisions taken in global affairs.
That is why now many countries of the world are seen raising demands for change in the institutions of the United Nations.
But the problem is that its permanent members are seen to be indifferent towards any such change.
Its improvement will take place only when its permanent members are truly serious about global interests.
