United Nations at 81: Need for Reform and Multilateralism

27 Sep 2026

Tags: International Relations   Groupings   Global agreements

Source: The Hindu

Context: The 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) assumes greater significance as UN Secretary-General António Guterres enters his final UNGA session after a tenure marked by conflicts, pandemics, climate disasters and the emergence of risks from Artificial Intelligence (AI).

• The article argues that the UN, at 81, faces a crisis of effectiveness, representativeness and legitimacy, requiring institutional reform and a move away from superpower dominance.

Growing Global Conflicts and UN’s Weakening

• The present period has witnessed an unusually high level of armed conflict; one study recorded more than 65 conflicts across 35 countries in 2025, reportedly the highest level since 1946.
• Polarisation, great-power conflicts, nuclear threats and unilateral sanctions have weakened the capacity of the UN to build consensus and uphold collective security.
• Wars involving major powers and actions allegedly inconsistent with the UN Charter have further challenged the credibility of the multilateral system.

Conduct at the 81st UNGA

• The article notes that leaders central to conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and the Persian Gulf did not offer adequate proposals for strengthening the international system.
• U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the possible “annihilation” of Iran and defended U.S. actions in Venezuela; he also claimed a role in negotiating peace in several conflicts, including the 2025 India–Pakistan four-day war, a claim that India disputed.
• Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian strongly criticised the U.S. and Israel, while the Russian President did not attend the session.
• The U.S. denial of visas to the Palestinian delegation further highlighted the political divisions surrounding the UNGA.

Partnership for Multilateralism

• An initiative led by the European Union and several other countries, and co-sponsored by India, seeks to establish a Partnership for Multilateralism (P4M) to promote cooperation beyond superpower hegemony.
• However, the initiative received limited attention amid the intense geopolitical disagreements at the UNGA.

Significance for India

• India has launched a campaign for a second two-year non-permanent term on the UN Security Council for 2028–29, making its engagement with the UN particularly significant.
• India traditionally advocates a rules-based international order, respect for the UN Charter, diplomacy, dialogue and peaceful resolution of disputes.
• The article argues that India's role as a balancing power is especially relevant amid growing geopolitical tensions.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to skip the UNGA address and associated multilateral meetings was therefore notable, particularly after India hosted the Delhi BRICS Summit.

UN Security Council and India

• The UN Security Council (UNSC) has 15 members: five permanent members with veto power and ten non-permanent members elected by the UNGA for two-year terms.
• The five permanent members are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• India has repeatedly advocated UNSC reform, particularly expansion of permanent and non-permanent membership, arguing that the present structure does not adequately reflect contemporary global realities.

Way Forward: Reforming Multilateralism

• Strengthen the representativeness and legitimacy of UN institutions by reflecting the changing distribution of global population, economic weight and geopolitical influence.
• Reform decision-making mechanisms to reduce excessive dependence on great-power rivalry and veto politics.
• Reinforce diplomacy, dialogue, international law and the UN Charter as mechanisms for managing conflicts.
• Build broader coalitions such as P4M to preserve effective multilateral cooperation beyond traditional superpower competition.