‘UN is like an old company, occupying space’: Jaishankar at third Kautilya Economic Conclave

India's Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, at the third Kautilya Economic Conclave, Delhi, focused on countries taking action in their own way when the United Nations does not step up on key issues around the world, reported the news agency PTI on Sunday, October 6.

Jaishankar also highlighted the United Nations' global function, even though the organization may function sub-optimally, “it is still the only multilateral game in town,” he said.

“So, what you have today, is yes there is an UN at the end of the day, however suboptimal it is in functioning, it is still the only multilateral game in town but when it does not step up on key issues, countries figure out their own ways of doing it,” said Jaishankar at the economic conclave.

The external affairs minister (EAM) also highlighted that when the United Nations is behind, it is time to have start-ups and innovations, the people start to do their own things.

Countries are like Companies?

Jaishankar also drew a symmetry between companies and countries, giving an example of the United Nations being an old company, not keeping up with the markets but occupying space for the same.

“In a way, the UN is like an old company, not entirely keeping up with the market but occupying the space. When it's behind times, in this world to have start-ups, and innovations, different people start doing their own things,” said Jaishankar in the conclave.

Jaishankar highlighted the UN's goal to mainstream principal players with the market trends, in the situation when they are not, he said that countries like companies start doing their own thing.

“Now, they would like to mainstream that into the market and see that the principal players are in-tuned with these trends but when they are not, I think countries, as companies do, start doing their own things,” said the external affairs minister in the conclave, reported the agency.