Security Council doesn't reflect realities, reforms remain divisive, says UNGA chief

Reforms to expand the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) remain a divisive issue but the current composition does not reflect geopolitical realities, the President of the UN General Assembly has said.

Abdulla Shahid, who is also the foreign minister of Maldives, said that he has made his position clear that reforms are urgently needed to restructure the Security Council at the earliest. Shahid, whose term as the UNGA president ends next month, is on a visit to India where he met the senior political leadership.

"It is a divisive issue at the General Assembly but I have made my position very clear that there is an urgency to get this done. Because, the current composition of the Security Council does not reflect the geopolitical realities of the day," Shahid told ET. He added that India has been at the forefront for restructuring the Security Council, along with the Maldives. "We need to reform and we need to restructure if we want to remain relevant," he said. Shahid added that the significance of the General Assembly has increased in recent times, when the Security Council has not been able to effectively address its mandate to maintain peace and security.


"When we saw the Security Council not being able to effectively address its primary mandate of maintaining international peace and security, we saw the General Assembly come into action and take determined action to address the issues," he said.