Eight-Decade-Old Structure: India, G4 Push For Urgent UNSC Reform At UNGA

India, Brazil, Germany and Japan have renewed their push for urgent UN Security Council reform, calling the existing negotiating process “ineffective” and saying the Council’s “eight-decade-old architecture” no longer reflects today’s geopolitical realities.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, German Foreign Minister Johann David Wadephul and Japanese Foreign Minister Motegi Toshimitsu met on September 22 on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York. In a joint statement, the G4 said the Security Council is currently unable to effectively discharge its core responsibility of maintaining international peace and security.

“The representativeness, legitimacy, credibility and efficacy of the UNSC are in question,” the statement said, pointing to its “eight-decade-old architecture” as a key reason. The ministers said the outdated structure does not reflect contemporary geopolitical realities and hinders efforts to address present and future challenges to peace and security.

The G4 described the Intergovernmental Negotiations, or IGN, framework as largely “ineffective” in producing concrete outcomes despite 18 years of activity. They expressed “strong concern” over the lack of progress during the previous IGN session and raised “serious reservations” about a so-called bridging proposal presented even before text-based negotiations began.

The four countries said the proposal did not reflect the views of a clear majority of UN member states favouring expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent categories. They also recalled that consensus is not the benchmark for decision-making on Security Council reform under the UN Charter and the IGN mandate.

Jaishankar said the G4 had discussed the “imperative of reformed multilateralism” and the need for a “more representative, responsive and effective UN Security Council that reflects today’s global realities.”

The G4 said they would work with other reform-oriented groups to develop a consolidated model reflecting the voice of a majority of member states and make “text-based negotiations” a high priority. They described this as key to achieving “real and impactful UNSC reform.”

The ministers said reform is “more necessary than ever before” amid an increasingly challenging geopolitical environment and called for the Council to become “fit-for-purpose.” They stressed that expansion in both permanent and non-permanent membership is central to reform and supported by a majority of member states.

They also called for stronger representation of underrepresented and unrepresented regions, including Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, while recognising historical injustices in Security Council representation. The G4 reiterated support for Africa’s “compelling case” for enhanced representation, including a permanent seat.

German Foreign Minister Wadephul said, “Since the founding of the UN the world has changed profoundly,” calling for a more inclusive Council and greater representation for African voices.

The G4 said discussions need not remain confined to the IGN and expressed willingness to engage the wider UN membership, including through the General Assembly. They said reform is essential to restoring the Council’s “representativeness, legitimacy, credibility and efficacy” and strengthening the multilateral system with the UN at its heart.