New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar raised the pitch for a permanent seat for India at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). He also called for reform of established institutions to usher in a more equitable global order. The EAM also sought changes in the multilateral development banks, whose functioning procedures “are just as outdated as that of the UN”.
He was speaking at the 16th BRICS Summit in Russia’s Kazan on Thursday, October 24, which also marks the United Nations Day.
“The BRICS itself is a statement of how profoundly the old order is changing. At the same time, many inequities of the past also continue. In fact, they have assumed new forms and manifestations. We see that in the access to developmental resources and modern technology and efficiencies,” the minister pointed out.
Jaishankar said we must also recognise that the benefits of globalisation have been very uneven. He said the Covid pandemic and multiple conflicts have aggravated the burdens borne by the Global South. Concerns of health, food and fuel security are particularly acute, the EAM said.
The minister added that the world is in real danger of falling significantly behind in realising sustainable development goals (SDG) targets.
‘How do we create a more equitable global order?’
He suggested ways to create a more equitable global order. “First, by strengthening and expanding platforms of an independent nature. And by widening the choices in different domains and minimising undue reliance on those that can be leveraged. This is really where BRICS can make a difference for the Global South,” Jaishankar said.
“Second, by reforming established institutions and mechanisms, especially the UN Security Council in the permanent and the non-permanent categories. So too the multilateral development banks, whose working procedures are just as outdated as that of the UN,” he suggested.
The third way was by democratising the global economy by creating more production hubs, the minister said. “Fourth, by correcting distortions in global infrastructure that are a legacy from the colonial era. The world urgently needs more connectivity options that enhance logistics and mitigate risks. And fifth, by sharing experiences and new initiatives,” he added.
