The UN at 80: The Case for Reform and the Future of Multilateralism
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: International Relations (Key international institutions: United Nations (UN), UN Security Council (UNSC), UN Peacekeeping, UNHCR, WFP; Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); UN Charter).
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (International Relations): "Important International institutions, agencies and fora—their structure, mandate" (This article is a direct analysis of the UN's structure and mandate); "Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests" (India's bid for a permanent UNSC seat).
Essay: Topics related to India's role in the world, the future of multilateralism, or global governance.
Key Highlights from the News
The United Nations (UN), formed after World War II, is at a critical juncture in its 80th year.
Although the bipolar order (Cold War era) of 1945 has changed and the world is now a multipolar reality, the UN's structure, especially the UN Security Council (UNSC), remains stuck in the power dynamics of 1945.
The rise of nationalism and great power competition weakens the idea of multilateralism, which is the basis of global cooperation.
The article argues for urgent reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
Countries like India, Germany, Japan, Brazil, and South Africa do not get a role in the UN commensurate with their global standing.
As the world's largest democracy, most populous country, and a major contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, India's exclusion from the UNSC is a "glaring anomaly."
The UN's biggest failure is its member states themselves. Great powers' abuse of veto power and funding cuts hinder the UN's operations.
In this new world order, India's foreign policy stance of strategic autonomy is highly relevant.
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