A World Beyond the United Nations?

After the World War II ended, world leaders united to form a body that would not let the horrors of war revisit the planet. They thought of an organisation that would foster peace, encourage dialogue amongst nations, and build a mechanism to avoid conflicts and war. Fifty countries came together on 24 October 1945 to make that happen, and thus the United Nations was born — the only truly global organisation that was meant to ensure peace in the world.

Unfortunately, in more than eight decades of its existence, the UN has lost its steam and has been reduced to a world forum that can only condemn conflicts and wars. The big five — the United States, United Kingdom, France, China and Russia — the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council can easily thwart any resolution to enforce action and foster peace with their veto.  The world thus does not have an effective mechanism to stop wars or a framework to prevent illegal actions by powerful nations. The war in Ukraine rages on, Israel has continued its assault on Palestine, and most recently Iran has faced the onslaught of missiles and bombers from the United States and Israel. Not only does the UN lack the teeth to punish wrongdoing, it has increasingly appeared redundant even in promoting climate consciousness, addressing crimes against humanity, fostering united action against pandemics, and tackling many other issues humanity confronts today.

The inability of the UN to prevent conflicts or enforce accountability has exposed its structural weaknesses. Does this mean that multilateral institutions are meaningless? Certainly not. On the contrary, they remain our only hope. Our approach should be to recalibrate them for a changing world order.

 In recent years, several smaller groupings have emerged, such as Conference of the Parties (COP) and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD). The approach should be to integrate such platforms within the broader UN system so that it can effectively coordinate critical humanitarian operations, peacekeeping missions, and development initiatives that smaller or regional alliances cannot easily replicate. What is required, therefore, is not the dismantling the UN but reforming it to make it more representative, aligning with the present situation. Today’s world is very different from what it looked like after World War II in 1945. Emerging powers, developing economies, and regions such as Africa and South Asia must receive greater representation in global decision-making structures. For India, this evolving landscape presents both an opportunity and a responsibility. As a rising global power with longstanding commitments to multilateralism, India is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between global institutions and regional partnerships. In this transitional world order, India has the potential to act both as a reformer of global institutions and as a constructive participant in emerging strategic partnerships. The time has come to build an effective multilateral organisation — whether under the name of the UN or otherwise — capable of managing the crucial affairs of the planet. After all, it is the only place we have to live.