UN Security Council Like An Old Club, Not Keen To Admit More Members: EAM S Jaishankar

EAM Jaishankar said UNSC doesn't want its practices to be questioned and it is a human failing that is harming the world.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has criticised the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and called it an old club whose members do not want to let go of the grip. He said the members of the UN Security Council are not very keen to admit more members and do not want their practice to be questioned at all. Jaishankar was speaking at the Rotary Institute 2023 event in Bengaluru.

"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. In a way, it's a human failing. But I think today it is harming the world," the minister said while answering the question of when would India become a permanent member of the UNSC.

"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 added

 

'However Difficult Your Neighbours, You Never Give Up'

The External Affairs Minister also addressed the concern relating to neighbouring countries and India's relationship with them. Mentioning Pakistan as an exception, he said the rest of the neighbouring nations have a lot of good experiences about India.

"It's also natural with neighbours that there will be issues of difference. I think we should not expect that all our neighbours will agree with us on all issues every day... On China,...we would certainly like our relationship with China to be better than what it is today. But if things have taken a turn for the more difficult in the last three years, it's not because of us. It is because they have chosen not to observe the agreements on the border," he said while responding to a question.

"But again, diplomacy is, however difficult your neighbours, however challenging they are, you never give up..." the minister concluded.

 

'Have Told Canadians, It's Up To You Whether...'

On the issue of India's link, as alleged by Canada, in the killing of Khalistani leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar and US' recent accusations of Indian national's involvement in plotting to kill Skih separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, the minister said India is always open to look at them.

"I think everybody knows that India is a country where we are very responsible, very prudent on what we do and the whole issue for us has been that we have always maintained that. If any country, not just Canada, if any country has a concern and gives us some input or some basis for that concern, we are always open to look at it. This is what countries do," he said.

Jaishankar said that in international relations, from time to time, such challenges can arise. "So we very sincerely have told the Canadians saying that look it's up to you, I mean your choice whether you would like us to pursue it, further look into it or not," he added.

He said the Americans also brought up some issues and the two are "not necessarily the same." "When they brought up that issue the Americans told us some specific things," he further said.