2025 a make-or-break year for multilateralism: Vikram Misri presses for urgent UNSC reform

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue 2025 in New Delhi on Wednesday, during the session titled The Big Picture: The World in 50 Minutes, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stressed the urgency of UN reforms, warning that 2025 is a make-or-break moment for multilateralism.

Reforming global governance: A critical tear for the UN

Misri addressed the pressing issue of global governance, particularly in the context of the United Nations, which marks its 80th anniversary in 2025. He underlined the urgency of addressing the “crisis of multilateralism,” warning that if substantial reforms do not begin this year, they may be indefinitely delayed.

“One of the crises that filters through a lot of other areas into the world is the crisis of multilateralism, both global governance in the economic sphere and all other spheres. And therefore, I would feel that if with everything that’s going on this year, the challenge is to trade, to multilateral finance and governance, I would like to think that if the worm doesn’t turn in 2025 with regard to the crisis in multilateralism, then I don’t know what else will turn it,” he said.

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Misri stressed that India remains committed to advocating for a more equitable global order and will continue working towards meaningful reforms at the United Nations.

India’s journey to 2047: Confidence in Viksit Bharat

When asked about India’s progress towards becoming a developed country by 2047, Misri expressed confidence in the Viksit Bharat initiative, emphasising its potential global impact.

“I believe that India’s growth and development journey through Viksit Bharat, aiming for a developed India by 2047, is bound to have a systemic impact on global metrics due to the sheer scale at which things unfold in the country. And I’m convinced that in a net sense that will be a positive impact,” Misri said.

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He highlighted the strategic planning behind the initiative, noting its extensive reach across multiple sectors, including commerce, finance, technology, health, education, foreign policy and security. “The scale is awesome. The manner in which it is being pursued is particularly striking across multiple agencies at multiple levels. The attention that it receives at the highest level of government combined with the attention to granular detail, these are I would say pretty unprecedented,” he added.

Acknowledging external factors influencing India’s journey, Misri pointed out that challenges such as global conflicts, technological competition and climate issues remain pressing concerns. “All strategy has to survive first contact with reality. And if I look from my perspective, I mean, obviously, there will be developments in the domestic sphere, but since I look more, spend most of my day looking at the international plate, what I see is that the trends that were already underway in 2023 have not gone away. In certain senses, they have sharpened.”

However, he maintained that India’s leadership, strategic vision and international partnerships would help the nation overcome these hurdles. “We are by no means freeloaders on the international system. I would be the first to confess that we don’t have the deepest pockets, but we do bring a lot of creativity and innovation to the table when it comes to development partnerships, especially with countries in our neighbuorhood and countries of the Global South,” the India foreign secretary said.

Global relations: The toughest challenge

In a thought-provoking moment, Misri was asked to evaluate the most difficult geopolitical relationships among the US-Russia, US-China, and US-EU dynamics. The foreign secretary, deftly avoiding a multiple-choice-style answer, provided a nuanced perspective.

“You’re really naming a lot of countries, aren’t you? You know, I answered multiple-choice questions 37 years ago, but I did that because that was a condition precedent to getting this job. Since then, all the time that I have been in the diplomatic service, I’ve learned not to answer multiple-choice questions,” Misri remarked, drawing laughter from the audience.

On a more serious note, he stressed the importance of the Russia-Europe dynamic, stating that it might hold the key to resolving several global issues. “I think among the other characters, there are equally important dyads that need attention. And I would, in particular, say that the Russia-Europe dyad is one that should get a lot of attention and focus because that, in a sense, may hold the keys to the resolution of a lot of other issues. Keep in mind the fact that this is also one of the dyads among all of these where you have a case of two countries that are terrestrial neighbours but also have a lot of stress in their relationship,” Misri said.

Misri highlighted India’s confidence in its developmental trajectory while acknowledging the complexities of international diplomacy. As India advances toward 2047, its engagement in global governance and strategic partnerships will be crucial in shaping not only its own future but also that of the world.