Rio de Janeiro: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, addressing the BRICS summit in Brazil, strongly advocated for immediate and comprehensive reforms in global institutions, stating that the current international frameworks are inadequate to address the challenges of the 21st century. He emphasised that outdated systems cannot steer the modern world forward and called for inclusive representation of the Global South.
Criticising institutions such as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), Modi remarked, “Running 21st-century software on a 20th-century typewriter is impossible.” He added that bodies failing to represent the voice of the majority of the world’s population resemble “mobile phones with SIM cards but no network,” highlighting their ineffectiveness. Modi called for structural reforms in organisations including the UNSC, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs), many of which, he noted, have not seen updates in over 80 years.
The Prime Minister also pointed out that while emerging technologies like Artificial Intelligence are evolving weekly, international institutions have failed to adapt. He criticised the gap between promises and implementation in areas such as climate finance, technology transfer, and sustainable development goals for developing nations, particularly those in the Global South.
Referring to the recent expansion of the BRICS bloc, Modi described it as a testament to the group’s ability to adapt to changing global dynamics. He urged that the same spirit be reflected in reforming other international platforms. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who hosted the summit, extended strong support to Modi’s views. With both India and Brazil pushing for permanent seats at the UNSC, Modi’s remarks gained significant diplomatic traction on the global stage.
