The UN apparatus, especially the Security Council, is crumbling under the weight of 21st-century geopolitical realities, India has said, underlining that the General Assembly should take the lead in restoring the centrality of the United Nations to resolve transnational issues through multilateralism.
India has consistently advocated the view that the General Assembly can be revitalised only when its position as the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations is respected both in letter and in spirit, Counsellor in India’s Permanent Mission to the UN Pratik Mathur said here Tuesday.
Addressing the UN General Assembly plenary meeting on ‘Revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly’, Mathur said: “We must admit that some of the blame lies with the General Assembly and its member states for having allowed its relevance to be diluted despite being the collective voice of all nations.” He noted that there is a “growing perception" that the General Assembly has gradually lost touch with its foundational responsibilities and has become overwhelmed with processes. “Moreover, the attempts to discuss thematic issues in the Security Council has also undermined the role and authority of the General Assembly,” he said.