India Calls For UN Reforms, Gaza Ceasefire At BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meet
India Calls For UN Reforms, Gaza Ceasefire At BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meet
M.U.H
14/05/202615
New Delhi: With the world buffeted by war, climate stress, and deepening economic fault lines, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has used India's chairship of the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting to deliver a sweeping call for global reform, demanding an overhaul of the United Nations Security Council, an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, and an unrelenting international stance against terrorism.
Speaking at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, where foreign ministers and senior representatives of the expanded BRICS bloc had gathered for the first major ministerial engagement under India's 2026 chairship, Jaishankar warned that the international community was confronting something far more dangerous than a run of bad luck.
"What we are witnessing is not a series of isolated events, but a convergence of challenges testing the resilience of multilateral systems," he said.
The two-day meeting, running May 14 and 15, is the centrepiece of India's BRICS presidency and is expected to shape the agenda for the Leaders' Summit that New Delhi will host later this year.
'World On Edge'
Jaishankar opened his address with a frank assessment of a deteriorating global landscape. Conflicts, climate events, and the Covid pandemic, he said, had been "key contributory factors" to widening vulnerabilities. But he pointed to something deeper at work -- a rebalancing of the global order that not every nation was willing to accept. The cumulative effect, he argued, was weakening growth prospects and hitting developing countries hardest, through "pressures on energy, food and fertiliser security, supply chain disruptions, inflationary trends and constraints on growth."
It was in this context, he said, that BRICS solidarity assumed particular importance. "Collective action and resolve are essential to promote stability, sustainability and prosperity," he told delegates. "The BRICS must not only deliberate on these issues but also work towards effective and coordinated responses."
'Gaza And Middle East Fires'
The most urgent passages of Jaishankar's remarks addressed the continuing carnage in the Middle East. On Gaza, he was direct: the conflict carries "grave humanitarian implications," and what is needed now is "a sustained ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a credible pathway towards a durable and peaceful resolution." India, he reaffirmed, supports a two-state solution to the Palestinian question.
The minister's concerns fanned out across the broader region. He flagged the risks to maritime traffic in critical international waterways, warning that "safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, remain vital for global economic well-being." Lebanon, Syria, Sudan, Yemen, and Libya each received mention-- a catalogue of crises that, according to Jaishankar, demand sustained engagement rather than selective attention.
"Stability cannot be selective, and peace cannot be piecemeal," he said, insisting on the importance of upholding international law, protecting civilians, and avoiding attacks on public infrastructure. India, he added, "stands ready to contribute constructively to de-escalation efforts."
UN Reform Imperative
If there was one theme running like a spine through the entire address, it was the urgent need to fix broken multilateral institutions. Jaishankar was particularly pointed to the United Nations. "The state of the UN, which is at its core, is particularly worrisome," he said. "With each passing day, the case for reformed multilateralism only gets stronger."
He demanded expansion of the UN Security Council in both its permanent and non-permanent categories -- a position India has long championed but one that has been frustrated by great-power resistance for decades. "Continued delay comes at a high cost," he said bluntly.
In the same breath, he took direct aim at the growing use of unilateral sanctions, calling them inconsistent with international law and the UN Charter and warning they "disproportionately affect developing countries." His message to those wielding economic coercion as a foreign policy tool was unambiguous: "These unjustifiable measures cannot substitute dialogue, nor can pressure replace diplomacy."
Zero Tolerance On Terror
Jaishankar reserved some of his sharpest language for the threat of terrorism. "There can be no justification for terrorism in any form," he said, adding that cross-border terrorism violates the basic principles of international relations. "Zero tolerance must remain an uncompromising and universal norm." The remarks, delivered in New Delhi at a moment of acute regional tension, carried unmistakable resonance given India's longstanding concerns over state-sponsored cross-border militancy.
Technology, Climate, And Digital Divide
Rounding out his address, Jaishankar pointed to two other forces reshaping the global landscape. On technology, he acknowledged its vast opportunities while raising concerns around "trust, transparency, and equitable access," arguing that bridging the digital divide "must remain a shared priority." On climate, he insisted that action must be matched by justice -- "with credible commitments, adequate financing, and accessible support" for nations on the front lines of a crisis they did little to create.
India's Moment On World Stage
The meeting at Bharat Mandapam is the fourth time India has hosted a BRICS summit-level engagement, and Thursday's statement made clear that New Delhi intends to use the platform to push its vision of a fairer, more representative international order. Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from Russia, China, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Iran, and the Maldives on the sidelines, underscoring the diplomatic intensity surrounding the gathering.
His closing words distilled the ambition of the entire address. "The message from our times is clear: cooperation is essential, dialogue is necessary, and reform is overdue," he said. "We must work together to shape a more stable, equitable, and inclusive international order."
The ministerial sessions continue on Friday, with further discussions and bilateral engagements before delegates leave the Indian capital.
