NAM countries seek reform of UNSC to make it more 'effective'

India and 119 other members of the NAM sought the reform of the UN Security Council to make it "more effective and representative" as they underlined the "need to recover and strengthen the authority" of the General Assembly of the 70-year-old world body.
A declaration of the 17th Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit here issued today called for the reform of the Security Council, in order to "transform it into a more democratic, effective, efficient, transparent and representative body, and in line with contemporary geo-political realities".
The countries also reiterated the "need to recover and strengthen the authority of the General Assembly as the most democratic, accountable, universal and representative body" of the UN.

"In this regard, they encouraged the establishment of a harmonious and balanced relationship between the main bodies of the Organisation, on the basis of the prerogatives provided in the Charter of the United Nations," the declaration said.
In his address to the General Assembly last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had pitched for reform of the Security Council, saying it was essential for the world body to inspire confidence and be relevant in the current world realities.
"We need UN reforms so that it inspires confidence and becomes relevant to the current world realities," he had said while talking about the global challenges and problems.

The NAM member nations underlined the central role that corresponds to the General Assembly in the process of selection and appointment of the UN Secretary-General.

They also reaffirming the need for "greater transparency and inclusiveness in the current process of selection and appointment of the Secretary-General with due regard to the principles of geographical rotation and gender equality.
The second five-year term of the current Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon is expiring on December 31.
The NAM countries also sought reform of the international financial architecture and reaffirmed that this requires the "democratisation of the decision-making institutions of Bretton Woods (IMF and World Bank)".

"Therefore, it is necessary to widen and strengthen the level of participation of developing countries in the international decision and economic law making processes and in the governance of a new world economic order," the declaration said.
"In this regard, they urged for transparent and more opened multilateral development banks and international finance organisations or agencies," it added.
The countries also expressed concern on the "negative impact" that tax havens can have on the world economy, in particular on developing countries.