Task Force 7 – Towards Reformed Multilateralism: Transforming Global Institutions and Frameworks
Multilateralism as a concept and practice has been the backbone of the United Nations system. However, as the world is undergoing a strategic flux and geopolitical gravity is shifting from the West to the East, questions regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of multilateralism have been raised. India and the European Union (EU), as supporters of multilateralism and important members of the G20, can capitalise on the G20’s agenda beyond economic and financial issues to push for reforms of global institutions, including the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). They can work within the G20 framework to build consensus on the direction and next steps on reformed multilateralism while using their strategic partnership to lead the discussion on multilateral solutions to current day challenges. This Policy Brief analyses the Indian and European understanding of multilateralism and suggests steps towards the reforms of the UN and UNSC.
1. The Challenge
The rise of nationalism, protectionism, and unilateralism over the last decade poses a serious challenge to multilateral cooperation and has already dented the effectiveness of many global institutions, including the UN. The Russian aggression on Ukraine has directly threatened the UNSC with paralysis and made an urgent case for a reform of multilateralism. Though there are reasonable voices questioning an argument that it might be ‘a San Francisco moment’ like 1945, “when it is possible for states to rewrite the rules of global governance from scratch”,[1] it is undeniable that the international system must change to better reflect current geopolitical and geoeconomic reality and address new challenges.
In this context, this Policy Brief analyses if and how India and the EU can take the lead in pushing the reform of the UN. It examines their individual approaches to multilateralism to identify converging interests and suggest steps in the reforms of the top global body. It suggests that, in order to democratise global institutions and move the reform agenda forward, the G20 can provide them with a unique platform.
Between effective and reformed: The India–EU understanding of multilateralism
India’s tryst with multilateralism can be traced back to it being one of the signatories of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, which led to the foundation of the League of the Nations. India was also a member of the Washington Conference of 1942, which resulted in the declaration of the UN. India then joined the negotiations of provisions of the San Francisco Treaty, which was signed in 1945 and came to be known as the UN Charter. In 1946, Jawaharlal Nehru enunciated that India was committed to the ideals of the United Nations and endeavours to play an active role in the UN.[2] Since then, India has come a long way in making multilateralism a core tenet of its foreign policy.
As India has grown economically and strategically, it has called for reforms of the multilateral governance system to match changing geopolitical and geoeconomic realities. This was reflected in India’s call for ‘reformed multilateralism’ at the 75th anniversary of the UN. Highlighting that the world of 2020 is completely different from that of 1945, Prime Minister Modi pointed out that it is important to reform not just the responses and processes, but also the character of the UN in order to match current realities.[3]
India’s call for reformed multilateralism is rooted in seeking a review of the provisions of the UN Charter, decision making in the UNSC, and addressing new challenges faced by humanity and integrating them into the activities of the UN.[4] In short, it calls for structural updating of the global governance system, which includes institutional accountability and increased representation of developing countries.[5] This was further reiterated by then Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla in May 2021 at the UNSC, where he said that wider representation and accountability would lead to increased confidence among the countries.[6]
To further highlight the need for the UN reforms, India circulated a concept note, titled “New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism”, for an open discussion within the UNSC in December 2022. This note reflected that the past and present differences between the world’s great powers have limited the ability of international government structures to function collectively. These institutions require new multilateral architectures which not only reflect current realities but are also capable of handling new crises. To achieve this, India highlighted three urgent reforms: reforms of the UN with comprehensive reforms of the UNSC, addressing concerns related to the inefficiency of multilateral institutions to deal with new challenges, and providing new multilateral architecture capable of preparing and responding to future challenges.[7]
EU’s effective multilateralism
The EU, given the specificities of its governance structure, is a staunch supporter of multilateralism as a tool that facilitates finding effective solutions to global challenges. It has been rightly claimed by the current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, that “multilateralism is in Europe’s DNA”.[8] In fact, support for effective multilateralism is enshrined in its founding treaty, recognised as a priority in the 2003 European Security Strategy[9] and again in the 2016 Global Strategy.[10] As High Representative Josep Borrell explained, the EU understands multilateralism as a set of rules that international actors (states, civil society, companies, etc.) agree to adhere to and implement on the basis of shared principles.[11]
European support for multilateralism became even more crucial during a period of disruptive and unilateral American policy during the Donald Trump administration. It is even claimed that, during the Trump Presidency, for many countries, the EU was seen “as the last truly committed defender of multilateralism”.[12] In an apparent effort to safeguard the multilateral institution, Germany and France jointly launched the Alliance for Multilateralism in April 2019 as an informal network of countries to protect and preserve international norms, agreements, and institutions and advance reforms. India and the EU were among the 50 members that joined the initiative at its first meeting at the sidelines of the UNGA in September 2019.
Therefore, the EU must not be seen as a status quo power interested in preserving Europe’s privileged position in the current system but as India’s partner in reforming multilateralism. The EU understands and supports efforts to adapt the international system to the changed realities of contemporary world. This is explicitly expressed in the EU Global Strategy of 2016, where it committed itself “to transform rather than to simply preserve the existing system”.[13] It further explains that this commitment to global governance must translate into UN reforms, including the UNSC and international financial institutions. Resisting such changes risks the rise of alternative groupings, which may be detrimental to the EU and its member states.[14]
Therefore, in June 2019, the European Council adopted conclusions underlining the importance of multilateral solutions and recognised the reform of multilateral institutions as one of three strands of action required to strengthen the multilateral system.[15] In its updated policy of 2021, it committed to “strengthening the EU’s contribution to rules-based multilateralism” and reiterated the EU strong support for “reform process initiated by the UN Secretary-General to make the UN fit for purpose”.[16]
Differing views on multilateralism
While the EU and India share a strong commitment to multilateralism and reform of the UN, there are also some serious differences and limitations to their roles in bringing this process forward. While India is not a permanent member of the UNSC, the EU holds only observer status in the UN. As it also coordinated its position with that of its 27 member states, one of which—France—holds a P5 seat, it carries an influential role in the UN. At the same time, there are divergent views among its member states on how UN reforms should look like, which impedes the EU from taking more ambitious goals at the UN. Despite these constraints, India and the EU represent close to 2 billion people and have a strong mandate to carry forward reforms of the UN.
Additionally, while both sides adhere to the idea of multilateralism, they differ in their understanding of it as well as the level of ambition when it comes to UN reforms. While the EU speaks of ‘effective multilateralism’ and wants to make the UN a more efficient organisation, India calls for ‘reformed multilateralism’ and more profound changes in the structures and functionality of the UN system, including the UNSC. For India and the EU, the divergences largely emerge from their historical experiences and legacies. For the EU, multilateralism is defined on the basis of commitments to global governance and encompassing instruments, including economic, social, and environmental policies, which form part of upholding this governance system.[17] On the other hand, India has focused on intergovernmental negotiations, as evident in its stand on the support for text-based negotiations and on consensus building.
As a result of the above, some tensions arise between the two from time to time, when practical steps on the reform are being taken, as was the case during the latest attempt of the UN reform in April 2022. While the EU, along with other Western countries, proposed and adopted the UNGA resolution restricting the use of veto power by P5, India voiced its disappointment over such a “piecemeal” reform, seeing it more as a snub directed against Russia after its actions in Ukraine.[18] Moreover, as one EU member holds a P5 seat, any discussion on scrapping veto power with the EU can be difficult. Also, European support for a permanent seat for India at the UNSC is being hindered by competing aspirations and differing visions of the UNSC reform by some European member states. Thus, it is a pending task for the EU to develop a consensus on UNSC reform that is more ambitious and in line with that of India.
2. The G20’s Role
At first glance, the G20 has no role in the reform of other international organisations, including the UN. It was formed at the highest level as a response to the financial crisis in 2008 to increase coordination and economic cooperation among major economies. Yet, over the years, its mandate has increased to include discussions on foreign policy and issues of global relevance, thereby combining geo-economics with geopolitics. Therefore, seen as a more effective intergovernmental forum, it can play a key role in pushing the reform of the UN forward.
The G20 includes all permanent UNSC members and countries aspiring to get a seat on the expanded council. Accounting for over 75 percent of world trade, 85 percent of global GDP, and roughly two-thirds of world population, the G20 is the most relevant global forum to address current global challenges.[19] In this regard, choosing reforms of multilateral institutions as one of the priorities for India’s presidency of the G20 could not be more accurate and timely. However, to make progress, India will need to engage the EU for its support on the agenda of reformed multilateralism within the G20. This is primarily because, apart from the EU being a member of the G20, the forum also hosts Germany, France, and Italy as members, along with Spain and the Netherlands, which have been invited as guests. When one adds the UK—a former EU member state—this increases total European representation to seven actors. This gives the EU a unique bargaining power which can be utilised by India in achieving consensus on the implementation of the reform agenda.
To capitalise on India and the EU’s commitment to multilateralism and make use of their combined potential, the two must first agree that the G20 is the appropriate body to deal with the question of global governance and reform of other multilateral institutions. They need to build on the emerging consensus that the G20 is not only an economic and financial forum but is also politically and strategically relevant, because, in the present scenario, all geo-economics is geopolitical, and vice-versa. In a recent observation, High Representative Josep Borrell elucidated that the G20 is no longer a mere talking shop or an economic forum;[20] rather, it has become a platform for the discussion of geopolitical issues.
Additionally, India and the EU must translate their general support for reform of the UN into concrete and practical action. While sudden or complete reforms of the UNSC will be hard to implement due to the vested interests of the current P5 in maintaining the status quo, it is also not possible to abandon the call for restructuring and expanding the top global governance body. Rather, India and the EU can build on their understanding of multilateralism, drawing upon the conclusions adopted by the EU in 2021 on its role in strengthening multilateralism and India’s proposal of new orientation for reformed multilateralism in 2022. Together, India and the EU can work towards pushing forward the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on UNSC reform, which were unanimously launched by the UNGA in 2007 and the proposal of 2015[21] to engage in text-based negotiations for a UNGA resolution on UNSC reform. This would also give momentum to their renewed commitment from the 2021 Summit, which called for comprehensive reforms of the UNSC to make it more transparent, accountable, and reflective of current realities.[22]
3. Recommendations to the G20
India and the EU have identified the reform of the UN and multilateral institutions as a necessity to address global issues and to give space and voice to developing and less developed countries. Together, India and the EU can frame their strategic partnership and leverage their collective strength to push an agenda for reformed multilateralism in the G20.
First, as a preparatory step, India and the EU can operationalise a dialogue on multilateral issues and other multilateral fora, as envisaged under the EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025.[23] This platform can be used to forge a common proposal on UN reform ahead of the G20 summit in India in September 2023. This would require serious discussions within the EU on the one hand and with India on the other, on key questions of the reform, including veto power, geographic representation, and scope of modernisation of the UNSC. Once the two agree on the common view of UNSC reform, they can put their weight behind it, pushing it within the G20 for discussions.
Second, while the EU supports reform of the UN, it must transform this general position into concrete steps. One such move would be for the EU to endorse India’s demand for the start of text-based negotiations of the reform process. This would help the process be formalised and allow for record-keeping that allows progress to be recognised and carried forward. This can be put forward by the EU and India as a joint initiative for discussions at the G20.
Third, the EU-India cooperation on UN reform needs to be promoted as an example of bridging the North-South divide and forging a common understanding of what multilateralism entails. Reform of the UN must be seen not as an end but the beginning of closer North-South cooperation and a move towards a more equitable and democratic global order. The EU can capitalise on India’s aspiration to represent developing countries and prove that it takes the interests of the Global South seriously. Both must use their unique links with other non-Western members of the G20 to make sure that their views and interests are reflected and incorporated into a common G20 position on UNSC reform. In this regard, acceptance of the African Union as a G20 member and the inclusion of the African representation within the expanded UNSC can be proof that the Indo-European initiative is truly inclusive and consultative.
Finally, while UNSC reform is seen as an ultimate goal of UN reform as well as its most challenging task, India and the EU must not lose sight of other elements of the ongoing reform process. Therefore, both need to work within the G20 to garner support for the swift implementation of the UN reform agenda initiated by Secretary-General Antonio Guteress. Their role as development aid providers and active members of UN peacekeeping missions provides India and the EU with leverage to lead the efforts of comprehensive UN reform across the three pillars of development, management, and peace and security.[24] This can take the shape of common G20 commitment of political and financial support to the UN reform to speed up implementation of the SDG agenda.
While both partners differ on some aspects of multilateralism, they converge on the idea of equitable representation within the governance structures of the UN and expansion of the UNSC. They can work together towards formulating a comprehensive definition of multilateralism and a working draft that envisions what reformed UN structures would look like. The G20 platform can be leveraged to start a discussion on pathways to reforms of the UN. The EU and India have a window of opportunity to kickstart concrete discussions on reform through the G20 and prove their aspiration as leaders of multilateralism.
Attribution: Ankita Dutta and Patryk Kugiel, “A G20 Proposal for UN Reforms: Views from India and the EU,” T20 Policy Brief, June 2023.
Endnotes
[1] R. Gowan, “The Ukraine War and UN Reform,” International Crisis Group, May 6, 2022.
[2] Indian Annual Register II (July-December 1946).
[3] “Full Text of PM Modi’s Address at 75th UNGA Session 2020,” Hindustan Times, September 26, 2020.
[4] Asoke Kumar Mukerji and Manjeev Singh Puri, “Advancing Reformed Multilateralism – Two Essays,” Indian Council of World Affairs, 2021.
[5] “S Jaishankar Pitches Reformed Multilateralism and Decentralised Globalisation: What Do the Terms Mean?,” Firstpost, September 26, 2022.
[6] “India Statement by Foreign Secretary Harsh V. Shringla at UNSC High Level Meeting on ‘Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Upholding Multilateralism and the United Nations-Centered International System’,” Permanent Mission of India to the UN, New York, May 7, 2021.
[7] “Letter Dated 25 November 2022 from the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations Addressed to the President of the Security Council,” UNSC, November 28, 2022.
[8] “Political Guidelines for the Next European Commission 2019-2024,” European Commission, November 2019.
[9] “European Security Strategy. A Secure Europe in a Better World,” European Council, December 8, 2003.
[10] “Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe. A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy,” EEAS, June 2016.
[11] Josep Borrell, “Building Multilateralism for the 21st Century,” EEAS, February 17, 2021.
[12] David O’Sullivan, “The European Union and the Multilateral System: Lessons from Past Experience and Future Challenges,” European Parliamentary Research Service, March 2021.
[13] “Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe. A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy”
[14] “Shared Vision, Common Action: A Stronger Europe. A Global Strategy for the European Union’s Foreign and Security Policy”
[15] “EU Action to Strengthen Rules-Based Multilateralism – Council Conclusions,” Council of the European Union, June 17, 2019.
[16] “Joint Communication to the European Parliament and the Council on Strengthening the EU’s Contribution to Rules-Based Multilateralism,” EEAS, February 17, 2021.
[17] Jan Wouters, Sijbren de Jong, and Philip De Man, “The EU’s Commitment to Effective Multilateralism in the Field of Security: Theory and Practice,” Working Paper No. 45, Leuven Centre for Global Governance Studies, March 2010
[18] “‘Piecemeal’ Initative Says India as UN General Assembly Adopts Resolution on Veto Reform,” The Wire, April 26, 2022.
[19] “G20-Brief Background,” G20.
[20] “G20 No Longer an Economic Forum – EU’s Borrell,” Reuters, March 3, 2023
[21] Mukerji and Puri, “Advancing Reformed Multilateralism – Two Essays”
[22] “Joint Statement EU-India Leaders’ Meeting,” European Council, May 8, 2021.
[23] “EU-India Strategic Partnership: A Roadmap to 2025,” European Council, July 15, 2020.
[24] “United to Reform,” United Nations.
