Permanent Mission of India
New York

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Meeting of the Special Committee on the charter of the United Nations and on the strengthening of the role of the organization

Statement by Ms. R. Mythili, Counselor (Legal Advisor)
18 February 2026

Mr. Chair,

Thank you giving us the floor.

Mr. Chair,

2. My delegation congratulates you and other members of the Bureau on your election to guide the meetings of the Special Committee. We assure you of India’s full cooperation and constructive engagement during this session.

Mr. Chair,

3. As a founding member of the UN, India re-affirms its commitment to the principles enshrined in the charter. While, the UN marks its 80^th anniversary, it becomes imperative upon the member states to ponder if the UN Charter still reflects what was envisaged by the founders then. We have to take a moment to reflect on the fulfillment of pledges such as “we the peoples”. In this context, we consider that the work of the “Special Committee” remains most important and relevant. The Special Committee’s mandate is well placed to play an important role in the interpretation of the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations to reflect the reality of the present day.

4. The UN was established to rebuilt the world that was devastated by the two world wars and to prevent wars in the future. With this in mind States firmly stood united and expressed allegiance to the Charter. The birth of UN reaffirmed faith in fundamental human rights, established conditions for the respect of international law to pursue better standards of life for all. The Charter has played its part in the journey of Member States towards peace, security and international cooperation.

6. We further acknowledge the important role played by the General Assembly and ECOSOC in supporting third States facing special economic challenges resulting from the implementation of preventive or enforcement measures imposed by the Security Council. We also encourage the Department of Economic and Social Affairs to continue its collaborative efforts with other relevant parts of the Secretariat to enhance the sanctions monitoring framework and improve the sanctions assessment methodology.

7. We commend the ongoing efforts of the Secretariat and the Secretary-General to update the Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs and the Repertoire of the Practice of the Security Council, recognizing these publications as essential reference tools and vital instruments for preserving the institutional memory of the Organization. We encourage continued progress in making these publications available electronically and appreciate the sustained work undertaken to update them and reduce existing backlogs

Mr. Chair,

8. We would like to reflect on specific issues, which are under this committee for quite sometime such as the peaceful settlement of disputes, maintenance of international peace and security and assistance to third States affected by the application of sanctions.

9. The United Nations embodies our shared conviction that only cooperative and effective multilateralism can advance peace and prosperity amid the complex, interconnected challenges of our interdependent world. India remains firmly committed to multilateralism and to the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with established international law. States bear the responsibility to resolve their disputes by peaceful means, a foundational principle enshrined in Article 2(3) of the UN Charter. Article 33 further reinforces this obligation by outlining the various means that parties may freely choose to settle their disputes. In this context, we value the role of the International Court of Justice, as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, in fostering the peaceful resolution of disputes and promoting judicial settlement under Chapter VI of the Charter before recourse to other measures.

10. The Committee currently has before it several proposals that merit careful consideration and India supports retaining the item entitled “Peaceful Settlement of Disputes between States” on the agenda of the Special Committee. At a time when images of the severe humanitarian consequences of war and communal conflict confront us daily, the urgency of preventing violence and safeguarding human life has never been more evident.

Mr. Chair,

11. Sanctions by Security Council serve their purpose if they are issued when necessary and as a measure of last resort only after having tried all other options and besides being applied so long as necessary in accordance with the charter provisions. In this regard the deliberations in this committee on Security Council’s targeted sanctions has paved way for reduced incidences of unintended harm to third States. Hence, it is vital for this committee to continue to discuss this topic.

12. The Security Council bears primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security and acts on behalf of the entire membership of the United Nations. Yet it is increasingly evident that the Council faces a crisis of identity, legitimacy, and relevance. Addressing this challenge requires invoking and effectively utilizing the Charter provisions that allow for reform and adaptation.

13. At the heart of India’s call for reformed multilateralism is a comprehensive reform of the Security Council to better reflect contemporary global dynamics. Unless the power structures are made to reflect the current geopolitical realities, a representative, credible, legitimate Security Council still remains bleak. What we need is a Security Council that is fully equipped to respond to present-day realities, rather than one constrained by geopolitical calculations of the 1940s.

13. Mr. Chair, we have taken note of the working papers as well as the proposals submitted to the Committee and look forward to engage constructively in discussing the proposals.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.