‘UN Security Council is like an old club’: EAM Jaishankar

UN Security Council, which has primary responsibility for international peace, comprises of 5 permanent nations namely-France, China, Russia, the UK and the US.

External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar on Sunday compared the United Nation's Security Council with an old club, saying that the latter is not keen to admit more member states and they don't want to let go of their control.

EAM S Jaishankar (ANI)

Speaking at an event in Bengaluru, the union minister said, “Security Council is like an old club, where there are set members who don't want to let go of the grip. They want to keep control over the club. Not very keen to admit more members, not keen to have their practices questioned.”

Further taking a dig at the council, Jaishankar said that the UN is failing and getting less effective as on several key issues including the Israel-Hamas war, it failed to achieve any consensus.

"In a way, it's a human failing. But I think today it is harming the world. It is harming the world because, on key issues confronting the world, the UN is getting less and less effective. And I can also tell you the global sentiment. I mean, today, if you ask 200 countries in the world, do you want reform or don't you want reform? A very large number of countries would say, yes, we want reform," he said.

The minister had earlier called on the UN to make reforms to stay relevant in the modern world and said that the issue cannot remain "indefinite" and "unchallenged".

While addressing the 78th UNGA in New York, he said, "In our deliberations, we often advocate the promotion of a rules-based order. From time to time, respect for the UN Charter is also involved. But for all the talk, it is still a few nations that shape the agenda and seek to define the norms. This can't go on indefinitely nor will it go unchallenged. A fair, equitable and democratic order will surely emerge once we all put our minds to it. And for a start, that means ensuring that rule-makers do not subjugate rule-takers."

Notably, there have been several calls for reforms and more balanced and responsive representation in the five-membered council.

Earlier this week, United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president Dennis Francis said that there is a need for a Security Council which is more balanced, more representative, more responsive, more democratic, and more transparent.

"The Security Council - whose primary responsibility is to maintain international peace and security - however, seems caught in a concerning state of paralysis," he said.

After more than nine weeks of the Israel-Hamas war, the UN Security Council has been unable to agree on a resolution calling for a ceasefire. After Israel launched its ground offensive strikes against Hamas in Gaza, the Security Council had voted on four resolutions, all of which had failed.

For a resolution to pass, it must receive at least nine affirmative votes and not be vetoed by a permanent member. All five permanent members wielded their veto, revealing deep fractures in addressing the crisis.