UNITED NATIONS DAY : Guterres calls for urgent reform of the Security Council

By R Anil Kumar

New York, 24 October 2025. Secretary-General António Guterres on Friday, 24 October warned that the “fragile” legitimacy of the Security Council could endanger global peace if it remains gridlocked and fails to fulfil its primary purpose.

Mr. Guterres was addressing ambassadors in the iconic chamber in New York on United Nations Day, marking 80 years since its founding. He spoke via video link from the capital of Viet Nam, Hanoi, during a robust open debate on how the UN navigates an uncertain future.

As the UN’s primary body for maintaining international peace and security, the council wields significant power, including the authority to impose sanctions and authorize military action.

Five of its 15 members have a permanent seat and were granted veto power under the UN Charter.

While the Council has played a central role in peacekeeping, conflict resolution and upholding international law, its veto system has often stalled action and sparked criticism.

The body’s structure is viewed by many countries and top officials as unrepresentative, leaving regions like Africa and Latin America without a permanent voice.

Invoking those who have looked to the council over 80 years to end wars, Mr. Guterres said that “the privilege to sit at this table carries a duty – above all – to honour the faith of those people,” he said. “Without a Security Council fit for purpose, the world is in grave danger.”

Debate over fundamentals

Presiding over the council for October, Russia praised the UN’s achievements but criticised the actions of Western governments, while elected (non-permanent) member Guyana, said the body was unrepresentative, advocating for greater and meaningful global representation.

The United States focused on operational reform, accountability, and called for a merit-based selection of the next Secretary-General – who takes the helm in January 2027 – emphasising the primacy of national sovereignty and transparency in the selection process.

The US representative called for an end to a selection process based on regions taking it in turns, arguing it was time to choose from a global roster of candidates.

A UN for the weak, not the powerful

The UN chief painted a vivid picture of how Council decisions can impact citizens worldwide:

“The Security Council is not about hegemons and empires. It is about parents who have lost their children, refugees flung far from their homes, soldiers who have sacrificed their limbs.

“In every shadow of this Chamber, you are surrounded by the ghosts of the dead. But beside them stands something else – the hopes of the living.”

He urged Council members to listen to those hopes.

“Listen closely and you will hear the cries of your citizens who rally for peace; the whispers of families who long for safety…The United Nations emblem does not bear the laurel wreath of a victor, but the olive crown of a peacemaker.”

But its legitimacy is fragile

All is not well’: S Jaishankar’s reminder to UN as he slams Pakistan over TRF move

All is not well in UN, decisions don’t address global priorities, says EAM Jaishankar

Though S Jaishankar didn’t directly name Pakistan, it was abundantly clear from his remarks that he was referring to that country.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Friday, 24 October, said “all is not well” with the United Nations, pointing to the body’s “increasingly polarised” debates and “visibly gridlocked” functioning, and stressed that meaningful reforms have been long obstructed, often through the reform process itself.

Without naming Pakistan, the minister’s remarks were seen as a direct reference to Islamabad, which is currently a member of the UNSC.

Speaking at an event marking the 80th anniversary of the UN, Jaishankar cited Pakistan’s move at the UN Security Council (UNSC) to protect the terror group that claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack as a striking example of the challenges confronting multilateral institutions.

“Few examples are more telling about the challenges facing the UN than its response to terrorism. When a sitting Security Council member openly protects the very organisation that claims responsibility for the barbaric terror attack such as at Pahalgam, what does it do to the credibility of multilateralism,” Jaishankar said.

Stressing on, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said that ‘all is not well’ within the United Nations and that its decisions do not address global priorities. He pointed out how a UN Security Council member protected the terror group that claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack.

While launching a postage stamp to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the United Nations in New Delhi on Friday, 24 October, EAM Jaishankar recalled the sacrifices of Indian UN peacekeepers and spoke about the recently hosted Chiefs of Army Staff conclave in the national capital, which witnessed participation from 30 troop-contributing countries.

He further said, “That said, we must also recognise that all is not well with the United Nations. Its decision-making neither reflects its membership nor addresses global priorities.

Its debates have become increasingly polarised and its working visibly gridlocked.” Pointing out how a United Nations Security Council member shielded a terror group which claimed responsibility for the Pahalgam attack, EAM Jaishankar said, “Any meaningful reform is obstructed using the reform process itself.

Now, financial constraints have emerged as an additional concern. How to sustain the UN even while seeking its reinvention is clearly a major challenge before all of us.

Few examples are more telling about the challenges facing the UN than its response to terrorism. When a sitting security council member openly protects the very organisation that claims responsibility for the barbaric terror attack, such as at Pahalgam, what does it do to the credibility of multilateralism.

“Similarly, if victims and perpetrators of terrorism are equated in the name of global strategy, how much more cynical can the world get when self-proclaimed terrorists are shielded from the sanctioning process? What does it say about the sincerity of those involved? If the maintenance of international peace and security has become lip service, the predicament of development and socioeconomic progress is even more serious.

The slowing down of the SDG Agenda 2030 is a significant metric to measure the distress of the global south,” the EAM said.

UN’s relevance under question

The minister further said the UN has failed to effectively address pressing global concerns, including security, development, and equitable progress.

“If the maintenance of international peace and security has become lip service, the predicament of development and socio-economic progress is even more serious,” he said, noting that the slowdown in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Agenda 2030 reflects the “distress of the Global South”.

He added that inequities in trade, supply chains, and political domination further highlight the need for urgent reforms.

“There are many more, whether it is trade measures, supply chain dependence or political domination. Yet, on such a notable anniversary, we cannot abandon hope; however difficult, the commitment to multilateralism must remain strong.

However flawed, the United Nations must be supported in this time of crisis. Our faith in international cooperation must be reiterated and indeed renewed.

It is in that spirit that we all meet to mark this occasion and seek to build a better world,” he said.

EAM Jaishankar noted that the conflicts have taken a toll on human lives. He expressed India’s strong support for United Nations multilateralism.

“Even today, we are regrettably witnessing multiple major conflicts that not only take a great toll on human lives but also impact the well-being of the entire international community.

The global south, in particular, has felt this pain even as the more developed have insulated themselves from consequences.

An 80th anniversary is a significant milestone for any institution,” he said. “On UN Day, I would like to reiterate India’s commitment to the ideals of peace and security as well as development and progress.

India has always been and will continue to be a strong votary of the United Nations and indeed of multilateralism. Our commitment to global peace and security is reflected, amongst others, in our staunch support for peacekeeping, and I’m very glad that the first day cover captures that particular facet as well,” he added.
Jaishankar said “any meaningful reform is obstructed using the reform process itself”, and maintaining the UN while simultaneously reinventing it is one of the biggest global challenges today.

The UNSC currently has 15 members, including five permanent ones, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. Pakistan chaired the Council in July this year.

Mr. Guterres highlighted the Council’s successes over eight decades, from helping Cambodia emerge from genocide to supporting South Africa’s transition from apartheid and deploying missions in Sierra Leone, Timor-Leste, and Liberia.

Yet its legitimacy remains fragile, he stressed, noting that violations of the UN Charter by some Member States erode trust and risk global stability.

He called for and expanded membership to better reflect the world’s demographics, including permanent representation for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

Mr. Guterres also encouraged discussions on proposals to limit the use of the veto.

Russia: Divisive Western powers

Russia’s Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia praised the UN’s achievements but cautioned against the actions of Western powers.

“In an effort to maintain its waning influence, the West divided the world into ‘us’ and ‘them’ – ‘democracies’ and ‘autocracies’ – a group of those who are chosen, and those who are violating their imposed order,” he said.

As a result, many of the UN Charter’s principles remain concepts, not a reality. “Adventures” – from the Iraq invasion and Colour Revolutions to the recent invasion of Iran – have only led to tragedy, he said.

Guyana: Reform now

Guyana’s Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett echoed calls for reform, describing the current configuration of the Council as unrepresentative.

“The Security Council must be reformed. Notwithstanding the expansive breadth of the work of the UN, the reality is that this success or failure of the United Nations as a whole is judged in large measure through the action, or lack thereof, of the Security Council,” she said.

She called for permanent seats for Africa and Latin America and a rotating seat for small island developing States, emphasising that national interest and international cooperation are complementary.

US: UN ‘has lost its way’

The United States, represented by Ambassador Dorothy Shea, focused on accountability. She said the UN had become a “bloated bureaucracy” that has lost its way, calling for mandates with clear political objectives and measurable benchmarks.

“The UN should serve Member States rather than have Member States beholden to an unaccountable bureaucracy,” she said.

On the next Secretary-General, Ambassador Shea said the US seeks a leader who will restore the UN to its founding purpose, respecting state sovereignty and prioritising accountability and transparency.

She added that the selection process should be merit-based, drawing candidates from all regional groupings, and that the next Secretary-General should “bring the UN back to basics and by so doing, help achieve the bold vision of peace and prosperity to which we all committed.”

A humble ballot box

 

At the start of the meeting, the UN chief recalled a remarkable moment from the UN’s early days: the first Security Council ballot box in 1946. To everyone’s surprise, a slip of paper was already inside – a note from Paul Antonio, a local New York mechanic who had made the box.

“May I, who have had the privilege of fabricating this ballot box, cast the first vote? May God be with every member of the United Nations Organization, and through your noble efforts bring lasting peace to us all – all over the world,” Mr. Antonio wrote.

“Paul Antonio – the mechanic never sat at this table He never gave a speech or signed a treaty,” Mr. Guterres told ambassadors.

“But he believed in everyone here. He believed in you. I urge you: honour that trust. Make this chamber worthy of the hopes of every man, woman and child.”