UNSC no longer reflective of contemporary reality: Hardeep Singh Puri

Arguing that the UN Security Council is no longer reflective of contemporary reality, India has said this poses the "most important challenge" to global peace and security as well as conflict prevention.

The essential function of the Council is to address matters of imminent threats to international peace and security, India's Ambassador to the world body Hardeep Singh Puri said, addressing a UNSC briefing on 'new challenges to international peace and security'.

"In our view, the most important challenge to international peace and security and conflict prevention is that our platform for global governance in this area, namely the Security Council, is no longer reflective of contemporary reality," he said.

"A composition rooted in 1945 detracts from its abilities to fully harness the capabilities of UN Member-States as of today," Puri said, adding that instead of the continuation of applying methods of coercion from an era gone by, newer approaches involving collaborative action are required.

Today's world, the envoy noted, is intensely inter-connected and defined by profound changes in science, revolutions in communications besides warfare techniques and globalisation.

Puri said India is not in favour of the "discordant trend" that has emerged to enlarge the scope of work of the UN Security Council, which should only focus on matters of international peace and security and not be burdened with social and economic issues.