“The UN was not created to take mankind to heaven, but to save humanity from hell.” – 2nd Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld. However, in the 21st century, the reform process-particularly of the Security Council-remains stalled, leading to a crisis of confidence in the UN.
Major reforms needed in the UN
Security Council expansion to reflect 21st-century realities
Veto-restraint or limitation – Eg- code of conduct.
Greater regional representation – Eg- African Union and Latin America.
Strengthening General Assembly role with clear mandate and resources.
Peacekeeping reform – mandates, rules of engagement, training and rapid deployment.
Financial autonomy for agencies like UNDP
Secretariat reform – streamline bureaucracy and merit-based senior appointments.
Transparency & accountability – stronger oversight and audit for agencies and peace operations.
Reasons the reform process remains unresolved
A. Delicate East-West imbalance
Historic institutional lock-in – UNSC P5 structure reflects 1945 power distribution.
The West (US, UK, France) advocates “value-based liberal multilateralism,” emphasizing democracy, human rights, and rule-based order.
The East (Russia, China) emphasizes “sovereign equality, non-interference, and multipolarity.” Eg- criticism of “Responsibility to Protect (R2P)” as neo-interventionism
Regional rivalries – rival claims (Japan vs. China, India vs. Pakistan) block consensus on new permanent seats.
B. Entanglement: USA vs. Russo-Chinese alignment
P3 vs P2 divide over veto and reforms. Eg- Syria, Ukraine.
P5 members resist reforms that could reduce their leverage.
Security dilemmas and Great-power rivalry turns UN reform into a question of strategic advantage rather than institutional efficiency.
C. Other decisive factors
Charter rigidity – amendments need 2/3 members + P5 ratification.
Bloc fragmentation – G4, African Union (Ezulwini), Uniting for Consensus dilute consensus
Resource dependence – Eg- UN budget has been slashed by 15% in 2026 (from USD 3.7 billion to USD 3.2 billion) as the US, China, Russia failed to complete their payments.
Proliferation of parallel forums like BRICS, G20, SCO provide alternative platforms, reducing political pressure for UN reform.
Way Forward
Reforming the UN Security Council by increasing permanent membership and addressing the under-representation of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
Adopt a “two-tier” membership model (permanent without veto) as an interim compromise (Kofi Annan’s proposal, 2005).
Empower the UNGA to act when the Security Council is paralyzed – via the Uniting for Peace Resolution (1950).
Rationalization of the Veto System
France-Mexico Initiative (2015): Voluntary veto restraint during mass atrocities.
Accountability Proposal by ACT Group (27 countries): P5 must justify veto use before the General Assembly.
Financial and Bureaucratic Reforms
Diversify funding base to reduce donor dominance.
Introduce independent audit mechanisms for UN agencies for transparency.
Rationalize overlapping agencies (UNDP, UNEP, WHO) to ensure resource efficiency.
Establish a UN Accountability Commission to monitor performance and corruption within UN bodies.
As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres put it, we can’t create a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents. Thus, “reformed multilateralism” with the UN at its core is essential.