'Almost irrelevant': PM Modi says organisations like UN failing to fulfil their roles

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an interview with US-based podcaster and AI researcher Lex Fridman on Sunday, spoke about global conflicts and the role of international organizations. He said that organizations that were once powerful have now become almost irrelevant.
PM Modi said, "Today, I see so many kinds of conflicts happening. Physical battles often get discussed. Struggles are happening in every domain. International organizations that were once powerful have become almost irrelevant."

He added, "No real reforms are happening. Institutions like the UN are failing to fulfil their roles. People who disregard international laws and rules, continue to act freely, and no one can stop them."

The conversation, which lasted nearly three hours, covered topics related to leadership, diplomacy, and global challenges. The episode was released on Sunday evening and was Modi’s second podcast appearance this year, following his discussion with Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath in January.
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PM Modi also spoke about the need for the UN to adapt to changing times. "We must also understand that the world has become one small village today. No country can thrive in isolation. Today, we all depend upon one another. No one can make it far by themselves. That is why you must learn to synchronize with everyone and everyone else must learn to synchronize with you. That’s the only way to propel this initiative forward. Organizations like the United Nations came into being after the First World War, but they failed to evolve with the times, and this inability to adapt has sparked a global debate on their relevance," he said.
PM Modi also spoke about rising geopolitical tensions, mentioning conflicts in Ukraine, the Middle East, and US-China relations. "Look, Covid exposed the limitations of every nation. No matter how much we consider ourselves as a great nation, no matter how progressive we think we are, or how scientifically advanced we believe we’ve become, everyone has their own way of looking at things. In the end, we all found ourselves on the same ground. Every country in the world faced this reality. At that time, it felt like the world would learn from it, that we would move toward a more unified world. Just as a geopolitical order emerged after World War II, many thought something similar would happen post-Covid. But unfortunately, instead of moving towards peace, the world became even more fragmented, ushering in a period of uncertainty, and the wars have only made it worse," he said.