Reformed multilateral-ism guides India's approach to UN: Jaishankar

Reformed Multilateralism guides India's approach to the United Nations, said Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday.

"Participated in the G4 Foreign Ministers Meeting that called for a decisive push for UNSC reforms during the UN75. A Unmous call for text-based negotiations in a fixed time frame. Reformed Multilateralism guides India's approach to the United Nations," Jaishankar tweeted after attending the G-4 foreign Minister meeting alongside his Japanese, German and Brazilian counterpart.

The Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, New York earlier on Wednesday informed that a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India, Germany, Brazil and Japan on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly was underway.

S Jaishankar, Minister for External Affairs of India, along with Ernesto Araujo, Foreign Minister of Brazil, Motegi Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Niels Annen, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office on behalf of Heiko Maas, Foreign Minister of Germany were present at the virtual meet.

According to a joint statement, the G4 Ministers highlighted the "urgency of reforming the United Nations and updating its main decision-making bodies, in order to better reflect contemporary realities" adding, "G4 Ministers expressed disappointment at attempts to derail this process and committed to addressing the issue in a mengful way and with increased urgency at this 75th anniversary of the UN."

While calling on the reforming the Security Council, the joint statement said that reforms would prevent it from becoming obsolete.

"Only if we manage to reform the Security Council will we stop it from becoming obsolete. Broader membership of the Security Council, with increased and enhanced representation of countries with the capacity and willingness to contribute to the maintenance of international peace and security, including from Africa, will allow it to preserve its credibility and create the political backing needed for the peaceful resolution of today's international crises," the joint statement added.

As per the joint statement, the G4 Ministers expressed their concern at the lack of any mengful movement forward in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on Security Council reform and expressed their concern "that - after two sessions in February and March - the IGN was adjourned due to COVID-19 and no further meetings were held thereafter".

"The recent session demonstrated yet again that the IGN lacks the necessary openness and transparency and is constrained by flawed working methods. The IGN should be guided by the decision-making requirements and working methods laid out in the Charter of the United Nations and in the rules and procedures of the General Assembly," the statement read further.

( With inputs from ANI )