India's Jaishankar: UN 'Largely Irrelevant' to Global Crisis Decisions

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated Monday that the United Nations has become "largely irrelevant" to decision-making on major global crises, including conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine, and urged urgent reforms to make the body more representative. Speaking at the Kautilya Economic Conclave in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the UN is "gridlocked," citing the Security Council's inability to act on major issues. He noted UN membership has grown from 51 countries to nearly four times that number, yet the structure remains unchanged, comparing it to keeping an old board for an expanded organization. Jaishankar rejected arguments against reform citing African interests, saying African nations have clearly stated their positions. He stressed India's goal is to "fix the UN, not to work around the UN," amid broader debate over multilateral institutions facing deadlocks in an increasingly multipolar world.