Jaishankar’s Big Statement On UN, Alliances

Last Updated:May 23, 2025, 15:35 IST

EAM S. Jaishankar criticized the UN as outdated, citing globalization and multipolarity. He highlighted the shift towards flexible, interest-based alliances like the Quad.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (PTI Image)

Acknowledging the need for United Nations (UN) to evolve itself with the ever-evolving world, External Affair Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said “the UN doesn’t really work, because it’s anachronistic.”

While speaking with Danish newspaper Politiken, the External Affairs Minister called the UN as outdated, citing globalization and multipolarity. He said the UN is “becoming less and less relevant.”

The EAM believes the emerging new world order is defined by five phenomena namely globalization, rebalancing, multipolarity, new technology, and the usual rivalries and taunts that have always existed between countries.

Explaining how the world has changed its perspective about the Asian culture, the EAM said, “If you look at the 20-30 largest economies in the world, they have overall become less Western, more diverse, more global, and significantly more Asian.”

While pointing to a pivotal year, Jaishankar said, “The global financial crisis in 2008 was a turning point because it showed that the West couldn’t handle it alone. So the former G7 and G8 countries became the G20 during that period.”

He added that the world is not at all equipped for the rebalancing that is currently taking place.

“Our institutions are lagging behind global realities. When they were founded, the UN had 50 members. How can the same institutions function now with nearly 200 members? Large parts of the world feel they are not part of the decision-making process in the central international organizations,” he said.

“The UN doesn’t really work, because it’s anachronistic – because a few countries block the majority’s desire for change. But then countries will simply find other ways to cooperate.”

He added, “It’s becoming less and less relevant. But politics is like water. It finds a new balance.”

More About Cooperation: S Jaishankar On Old, New Alliances

The foreign minister also emphasised on the significance of shared interests among allies apart from just signing treaties or following written rules. He also highlighted that the world has become more multipolar.

“As I see the emerging world order, we’re heading towards a much more multipolar world. And a world where the importance of the alliances that were part of the previous world order is diminishing. I’m not saying the alliances will disappear, because I don’t believe that. But in Asia, it’s more about cooperation on shared interests rather than entering treaties or writing down rules,” he said.

Highlighting the Quad cooperation between India, the USA, Japan, and Australia as an example, He signalled how future alliances will be more flexible and interest-based. No one is obligated to help each other militarily, as is the case with NATO. “It’s based on voluntariness – a desire to pool our strengths and cooperate. It’s flexible and effective,” he said.

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The UN is in decline The emerging new world order, according to Jaishankar, is defined by five phenomena: globalization, rebalancing, multipolarity, new technology, and the usual rivalries and taunts that have always existed between countries. “If you look at the 20-30 largest economies in the world, they have overall become less Western, more diverse, more global, and significantly more Asian,” he says, pointing to a pivotal year: “The global financial crisis in 2008 was a turning point because it showed that the West couldn’t handle it alone. So the former G7 and G8 countries became the G20 during that period.”

But in fact, the world is not at all equipped for the rebalancing that is currently taking place, Jaishankar believes. “Our institutions are lagging behind global realities. When they were founded, the UN had 50 members. How can the same institutions function now with nearly 200 members? Large parts of the world feel they are not part of the decision-making process in the central international organizations,” he says. “The UN doesn’t really work, because it’s anachronistic – because a few countries block the majority’s desire for change. But then countries will simply find other ways to cooperate.” Is the UN in decline? “It’s becoming less and less relevant. But politics is like water. It finds a new balance.

Old and new alliances This development also puts pressure on old alliances, such as NATO, which was founded after World War II, the Foreign Minister believes: “As I see the emerging world order, we’re heading towards a much more multipolar world. And a world where the importance of the alliances that were part of the previous world order is diminishing. I’m not saying the alliances will disappear, because I don’t believe that. But in Asia, it’s more about cooperation on shared interests rather than entering treaties or writing down rules.”

He highlights the Quad cooperation between India, the USA, Japan, and Australia as an example of how future alliances will be more flexible and interest-based. No one is obligated to help each other militarily, as is the case with NATO. “It’s based on voluntariness – a desire to pool our strengths and cooperate. It’s flexible and effective,” he says.

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News india Heading Towards Much More Multipolar World: Jaishankar’s Big Statement On UN, Alliances



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