Jaishankar rejects choice between BRICS and United Nations

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has rejected the idea that countries must choose between BRICS and the United Nations, saying the two groupings can operate in support of one another. Speaking at a panel discussion in New York on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar said treating the relationship as a choice was misleading.

He acknowledged shortcomings in the United Nations but said its achievements meant it should not be dismissed. “If there wasn't a UN, we'd all be sitting here trying to invent one,” he said, arguing that reform efforts should focus on improving the organisation rather than weakening it. Jaishankar said BRICS and similar groups brought together countries with shared interests or perspectives.

He said one of BRICS’ central positions was that the United Nations remained central to the international system. The minister referred to the BRICS summit hosted by India on September 12 and 13. He said the grouping was supportive of the UN and that many of its members wanted the organisation reformed, although the extent of support for reform differed among them.

The current BRICS membership listed in the source includes Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates. Jaishankar said the group’s expansion showed strong demand for a platform that offered alternative thinking. He described BRICS as a non-Western platform spanning several continents.

In his view, its members were connected by the belief that non-Western viewpoints and contributions should receive greater weight in global discussions. Jaishankar said the issues associated with BRICS—including resilience, sustainability, innovation and cooperation—were also priorities for the United Nations. He characterised the grouping as exerting pressure from below in favour of UN reform.

Asked whether diplomacy should prioritise interests, trust or values, he said he would seek the best of all three. He placed particular emphasis on trust, describing it as something built through experience and conduct rather than simply declared.