Modi criticism of UNSC, WTO voices India’s angst

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of the ineffectiveness of global governance institutions like the United Nations Security Council, International Monetary Fund,  World Bank and World Trade Organisation is a strong articulation of India’s disappointment with the failure of these organisations to respond to the needs of the global south in relation to trade, climate change and technology.

In his address to the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, China, India, South Africa) summit in Rio de Janeiro, Modi underline the urgent need to support efforts for sustainable development and the stasis that has gripped any meaningful advance in climate finance and technology-sharing. He called on the multi-lateral organisations to reflect on the need to on board contemporary realities and initiate reform.

Dwelling on the double standards applied to the global south, the Prime Minister emphasised the need to condemn terrorism without ifs and buts. He said the April, 2025, terrorist attack at Pahalgam was an onslaught against humanity and called for those funding, promoting and providing safe haven to terrorists must be dealt with in the harshest terms. While the BRICS document criticised the Isreal’s attacks on Iran, the Prime Minister restricted himself to saying that conflicts in west Asia or Europe must be addressed by dialogue and diplomacy.

The BRICS resolution contains a detailed condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. “We express strong condemnation of any acts of terrorism as criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Jammu and , on 22 April 2025, during which 26 people were killed and many more injured,” the BRICS statement said.

Short of naming Pakistan, the statement committed to combating terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border movement of terrorists, terrorism financing and safe havens. “We urge to ensure zero tolerance for terrorism and reject double standards in countering terrorism. We emphasize the primary responsibility of states in combating terrorism and that global efforts to prevent and counter terrorist threats must fully comply with their obligations under international law,” the BRICS said.

Though the BRICS condemnation of attacks in Iran has no mention of the Tehran regime targeting civilian centres in Isreal, the terrorism references are satisfactory from India’s view point.

The grouping criticised United States actions on tariffs as well as European Union’s carbon tax and the statement said, “The proliferation of trade-restrictive actions, whether in the form of indiscriminate rising of tariffs and non-tariff measures, or protectionism under the guise of environmental objectives, threatens to further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities, potentially exacerbating existing economic disparities and affecting prospects for global economic development. We voice serious concerns about the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules.”

The BRICS statement condemned military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 as a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations and expressed grave concern over the subsequent escalation of the security situation in the Middle East. “We further express serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the IAEA,” it said.

While certification of Iran’s nuclear programme as “peaceful” can be seen as questionable, the BRICS also expressed concern over the situation in the “Occupied Palestinian Territory” with the resumption of continuous Israeli attacks against Gaza and obstruction of the entry of humanitarian aid.

The BRICS statement reaffirmed support for the state of Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations in the context of “unwavering commitment” to the two-state solution. It backed establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable State of Palestine within the internationally recognized 1967 borders, which includes the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

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