The 81st General Assembly of the United Nations began on September 8. It was there that Foreign Minister S Jaishankar called for reform of international organizations and multilateral cooperation, warning of intense competition, geopolitical tensions and ongoing conflicts in the international system. The foreign minister was speaking at the Partners for Multilateralism (P4M) Summit in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly. He said the world is facing challenges like peace, security, climate, terrorism, new technology and global supply chain. All countries have to work together to deal with it. He also emphasized the need for 'reformed multilateralism' through greater participation and transparent decision-making processes in international institutions, including the United Nations.
Jaishankar said, the world is currently going through a great change. He said the global balance of power has been shifting steadily over the past few decades, a much-awaited transformation. But intense competition, geopolitical tensions and conflict have now accelerated this change. If these situations are not addressed, the very idea of international cooperation may be called into question. Therefore, multilateralism has to play its role strongly in this present time.
Jaishankar said, the world is currently going through a great change. He said the global balance of power has been shifting steadily over the past few decades, a much-awaited transformation.
The foreign minister also said that the need for international cooperation is not only limited to diplomatic negotiations. He said it has a direct impact on world peace, security and development. According to him, countries must work together to address issues such as global peace and international security, climate action, emerging technologies, financing for development, counter-terrorism, global supply chains, disaster management and preparedness for future pandemics. The success achieved so far in the international system is the result of the collective efforts of all. As a result, we must protect the good things we have achieved and take the initiative to build better systems in the future.
Note that the current world is going through a financial crisis. Two major wars like Ukraine-Russia, America-Iran have also greatly affected global diplomacy. The new Houthi-Saudi war raises the energy crisis. In this situation, the role of the United Nations is important. However, in the last decade and a half, the importance of international organizations has sadly declined. In effect giving the United Nations a thumbs up, powerful states have engaged in several humanitarian activities. There, Foreign Minister Jaishankar asked for reforms and united work of all countries.