U.K. Calls for UN Reforms to Reflect Changing Economic Centre of Gravity
The U.K.’s call for UNSC reform and its support for India’s bid for permanent membership of the Security Council comes at a time when the world is undergoing huge changes, especially in terms of economic power and technological advances. The U.K. believes that the multilateral system should be able to respond to these changes and provide representation to the most vulnerable countries.
The United Kingdom government has called for reforms of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) as one of its top transnational priorities. These reforms are seen as necessary to reflect the shifting economic center of gravity away from the Euro-Atlantic and towards the Indo-Pacific. British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also expressed support for India’s bid for permanent membership of the powerful Security Council. The UNSC has five permanent members, namely China, France, Russia, the U.K., and the U.S.
All these members have the power to veto any substantive resolution. Mr. Cleverly believes that the world’s changing economic landscape should be reflected in the UN multilateral system, which currently is yet to catch up. He said that the Security Council should be reformed to include permanent African representation, and extend membership to India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan. In addition to UNSC reforms, the U.K. Foreign Secretary outlined four other priorities for the government.
These included making finance easier and quicker to access, reform of international financial institutions, the need for new rules at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that reflect the digital economy, and the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. Mr. Cleverly acknowledged India’s proactive role in pushing for representation of poorer nations on the world stage. He also praised the country for its leadership of the G20 and hailed the Prime Minister’s plan to host an AI summit this autumn.
The U.K.’s call for UNSC reform and its support for India’s bid for permanent membership of the Security Council comes at a time when the world is undergoing huge changes, especially in terms of economic power and technological advances. The U.K. believes that the multilateral system should be able to respond to these changes and provide representation to the most vulnerable countries. With its renewed focus on transnational priorities, the U.K. is doing its part to ensure that the multilateral system is equipped to handle the challenges of the 21st century.
