In a speech at the Chatham House think tank, UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly reiterated the UK government's commitment to reforming the United Nations (UN) and expressed support for India's aspiration to become a permanent member of the powerful Security Council.

Cleverly emphasized the need for a modernized and inclusive multilateral system that reflects the current global landscape. He highlighted the shifting economic center of gravity from the Euro-Atlantic to the Indo-Pacific and underscored the importance of adapting multilateral institutions to these changes.

The Foreign Secretary outlined five transnational priorities, with UN Security Council reform topping the list. He advocated for permanent African representation and proposed extending membership to India, Brazil, Germany, and Japan. Cleverly acknowledged that this reform would be a bold step but asserted that it would bring the Security Council into the 2020s.

Cleverly also emphasized the need for reforming international financial institutions, addressing climate finance and poverty reduction. He praised India's leadership in advocating for representation of poorer nations within the G20, expressing support for granting the African Union permanent membership in the group.

Additionally, the Foreign Secretary highlighted the importance of updating trade policies to reflect the digital economy, emphasizing the World Trade Organization's (WTO) need for new rules that ensure fair, open, and unmanipulated trade. He further underscored the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, planning to chair the UN Security Council's first-ever meeting on this issue and announcing an AI summit to be hosted by the UK Prime Minister later in the year.

Source: TREND News Agency