UN reflects world of 1945: PM

‘‘Unless it becomes an organisation more representative of the contemporary world and more relevant to our concerns and aspirations, its ability to deliver will continue to be limited,’’ he said. The reform of the UN ‘‘must include the expansion of the UN Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership.’’

India’s effort to expand the Security Council faces relentless resistance from a number of countries, including Pakistan. In his address to the UNGA yesterday, Pakistan’s President Pervez Musharraf conceded that the UNSC must be ‘‘more representative’’.

Musharraf, however, turned the knife by saying that the UNSC cannot be made more representative by ‘‘adding a new elite’’, ‘‘but by reflecting more fully, the entire spectrum of the UN’s membership’’. This, Musharraf, insisted ‘‘can be achieved only through patient dialogue and general consensus’’.

Beyond UN reform, Singh pointed out that the ‘‘world awaits a ‘New Deal’ that can spur development and create jobs’’. The global new deal, Singh said, must address the challenges of pandemics like HIV/AIDS, energy security and climate change.

Singh also highlighted the importance of renewing efforts ‘‘to secure the world against nuclear proliferation and to promote global nuclear disarmament’’. Stressing the importance of democracy, Singh said, ‘‘democratic governance within nations and in our global institutions would also constitute a powerful weapon in meeting the global scourge of terrorism’’.