Prime Minister Modi calls UN limits visible and urges stronger global bodies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the limitations of the United Nations and other international bodies are clearly visible in the face of today's complex challenges. Speaking at the NDTV World Summit on Thursday evening, he described the current global situation as a world between orders and asked why the old global order cannot provide solutions.

Global South

Modi called for stronger institutions, a greater voice for the Global South, and international cooperation. He noted that the UN was founded after the Second World War on the principles of dialogue, cooperation, and peaceful dispute resolution. However, he stated that changing global realities have tested the existing world order as new economies and powers arise.

Weaponised Sectors

Modi remarked that trade, technology, and sea routes are being weaponised. He cited the ancient Indian economist Chanakya and his Sanskrit mantra 'apranitah tu matsyanyayam udbhavayati', which translates to the law of the sea where the strong swallow the weak. External affairs minister S Jaishankar made similar remarks earlier this month at the 5th Kautilya Economic Conclave in Delhi, stating that the UN is gridlocked and has been largely irrelevant to decision-making on major crises like Ukraine and the Gulf.

Context

Calls to reform the United Nations and its Security Council have grown louder in recent years from developing nations like India. These countries argue that the current global governance structures still reflect the post-World War II power balance rather than today's multipolar world.