77-year-old organisation like the UN needs a 'refresh': EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said a 77-year-old organisation like the United Nations needs a "refresh", asserting that pushing for a major overhaul in the top global body is an important part of New Delhi's foreign policy.

Jaishankar made these comments while addressing members of the Indian diaspora here in the Austrian capital on Sunday.

When asked how Jaishankar was planning to undertake the reforms in the UN, and if India would take the leadership in bringing about this change, the minister said:"The UN system was invented in 1945. Now, I tell people to show me something which is 77 years old and you feel doesn't need a refresh. People refresh themselves, institutions need to be refreshed by other people. We need change. Large parts of the world do not believe anymore that the UN system speaks fairly for them."

The United Nations (UN) officially came into existence in October 1945, after its Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the UK, the US and by a majority of other signatories.

India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.

"The problem is those who are occupying positions of influence obviously don't want to dilute their influence. So how we persuade people to go along with that change when their more short-term calculations make them stick to the old system is a real problem," Jaishankar explained.

The minister said pushing for reforms in the UN is an integral part of India's foreign policy, noting that the change will not take place overnight.

"Having said that, it's something which we will persevere and it's a very important goal for us, and our foreign policy. It won't happen tomorrow but it will happen one day, trust me," he said.

The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any substantive resolution.

There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality.

Jaishankar arrived in Austria from Cyprus, and is on the second leg of his two-nation tour.

This is the first EAM-level visit from India to Austria in the last 27 years, and it takes place against the backdrop of 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2023.