Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj alleges bias for ‘five nations', questions effectiveness of multilateralism

Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), has questioned the effectiveness of multilateralism, highlighting the inadequacies of the current system.

Speaking at the UN Security Council Open Debate, Kamboj asked if multilateralism could be effective if it relied on a charter that elevates five nations above the others and allows them to ignore the collective will of the remaining 188 member states. She also questioned the relevance of the principle of "to the victor belong the spoils" in the 21st century.

Kamboj noted that the multilateral system has failed to respond to contemporary challenges, such as the Covid pandemic and ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and that significant global challenges, including terrorism, radicalism, climate justice and action, disruptive non-state actors, debt, and geopolitical contestations, continue to undermine global peace and security.

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The Ambassador also questioned the ability of the UN Charter to facilitate effective multilateralism in the 21st century, where two of the permanent members have not been able to change their names despite recommendations made by Article 109 of the Charter.

Kamboj emphasised the need to widen representation in the UNSC to more developing countries to enhance its effectiveness and credibility.

India, a founding signatory to the UN Charter in 1945, has been calling for major course correction in global decision-making. Kamboj stressed that if the UN continues to perpetuate anachronistic mindsets, the faith people have in it will diminish.

She also highlighted the call for reforms from more than 70 global leaders in September and quoted India's External Affairs Minister, who said that "reform is the need of the day".

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Kamboj concluded her speech by noting that multilateral institutions rarely die, but they simply fade into irrelevance. She asked if the gap between the "Model UN" role-play in universities and the real world was shrinking.