The American push for multilateral reform aligns with India's agenda in Biden's speech

In his speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, US President Joe Biden made a strong pitch for reformed multilateralism, calling for the inclusion of both more permanent and non-permanent members in the Security Council (SC) and reaffirming the American commitment to the reform of multilateral development banks (MDBs).

- Prashant Jha

The reference to reformed multilateralism is music to the ears of Indian policymakers. Biden's remarks are seen not just as a reflection of the convergences between Delhi and DC on a growing shared agenda that goes beyond the bilateral box of traditional issues, but also a sign that the American side today recognises the need to adopt a different approach to the world order than the earlier unilateralist approach.

In his remarks on the UN, Biden said on Tuesday, that the US recognises that to meet the new challenges, "decades-old institutions and approaches" must be updated to keep pace with the world.