New Delhi: Kishore Mahbubani, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore said on October 22 that the United Nations (UN) is “not weak by accident, but by design” and also argued that India should replace the United Kingdom (UK) on the UN Security Council (UNSC) to make it stronger.

Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Mahbubani, a former UNSC President, spotlighted India’s pivotal role in shaping the new world order, which he described as based on three key principles: multi-civilisational, multipolar, and multilateral. He also addressed issues pertaining to Indian interests including the India-China patrolling agreement along Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the BRICS summit.

Referring to a column he wrote suggesting that the UK should cede its permanent seat on the UNSC to India, Mahbubani said, “As someone who served as Ambassador to the UN for over a decade, I understand the history of the organisation. When the UN’s founders created the veto power, they intended it for the great powers of the day, not yesterday. That’s why countries like Germany and Japan didn’t get the veto in 1945.”

“The time has clearly come to change the composition of the great powers. India is undoubtedly one of today’s great powers, with the world’s fifth-largest economy, which is expected to rise to third place by the end of this decade. Meanwhile, the UK is slipping and may soon fall out of the top ten economies globally. The UK is lost,” he said.

Mahbubani stressed the need for a strong “village council” in an increasingly interconnected world facing global challenges like pandemics, climate change, and economic stress.

“The UN is weak, not by accident but by design. The P5 powers have ensured that the UN Secretary-General remains spineless, keeping the organisation weak. This needs to change,” he said.

He also asserted that India’s inclusion in the UNSC would be widely welcomed. “If India replaces the UK in the UN Security Council, the world would cheer, knowing that India provides a perspective that bridges both the East and the West. This is the unique role India can play.”

Addressing the recent India-China patrolling agreement, Mahbubani remarked, “It’s remarkable to have such a breakthrough given the deep suspicion between the two nations, especially after the 2020 incident. Before that, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met regularly, but they haven’t met in four years.”

He placed this in the context of broader global changes, noting, “The world is undergoing unprecedented shifts. We are moving into a ‘New Three M World’ — Multi-civilisational, meaning we are no longer dominated by the West; multipolar, as new powers are emerging; and multilateral. India and China adjusting to these changes reflect this broader global evolution.”

Mahbubani also discussed the BRICS Summit and called it a “sunrise club” in contrast to the G7, which he described as a “sunset organisation.” He pointed out that the BRICS economies are growing while the G7’s influence and share of global GDP are shrinking.

“At the start of this century, G7 economies were much larger than BRICS. Now, BRICS economies are bigger,” he said.

Highlighting the broader rise of Asia, Mahbubani pointed out that ASEAN’s economy is set to surpass Japan’s by 2030. “In 2000, Japan’s economy was eight times bigger than ASEAN’s. Now, it’s only 1.3 times bigger. China and India’s interest in working closely with ASEAN reflects Asia’s broader rise.”

On India’s ‘Act East’ policy, Mahbubani emphasised the region’s historic ties with India, stating, “For 2,000 years, Southeast Asia had closer ties with India than with China. Colonisation distanced these ties, but now they need to be rebuilt. It’s good that ASEAN and India have a free trade agreement, but India must integrate more with other Southeast Asian nations.”

He also urged India to shift its focus from the West to the East. “Some in India still look West, but the West is lost, both economically and geopolitically. That’s not where the future lies. Act East is the future for India.”

Addressing India’s role in the global supply chain, Mahbubani noted, “India has a magnificent opportunity to play a bigger role in global manufacturing and supply chains, but to do so, it must open up and integrate with the world, including China.”