UN General Assembly President Khalilur Rahman pledged on Tuesday, 9 September to push for a 'meaningful' reform of the UN Security Council with the utmost seriousness, declaring that the world body must modernise to remain credible in the 21st century. Rahman made the remarks to reporters at the United Nations headquarters in New York shortly after being sworn in as the Assembly's President.

Rahman's Reform Mandate

'We have a situation where trust is in deficit, and the organisation must undertake deeper reform in order to make it fit for the future, not only today but tomorrow,' Rahman said. On his personal commitment to the process, he was unequivocal: 'I take this very, very seriously.'

As Assembly President, Rahman will appoint the facilitators of the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) — the formal mechanism through which Security Council reform discussions are conducted. The IGN process has been ongoing for years with limited tangible progress, making his appointment of facilitators a closely watched early test of intent.

The Case Against the Status Quo

'This is not 1945 … we are not doing the San Francisco,' Rahman said, invoking the 1945 San Francisco Conference at which the United Nations was founded to reflect the post-World War II power structure — a framework critics argue the organisation remains trapped in nearly eight decades later. 'This is the 21st century … the world has moved on,' he added.

He stressed that reforms must be substantive enough to 'regain the trust of the central organisation in the eyes of the public.' This comes amid growing frustration among member states — particularly from the Global South — that the Security Council's permanent membership and veto architecture no longer reflects contemporary geopolitical realities. Notably, this is one of the most explicit reform commitments made by an incoming Assembly President in recent memory.

Rahman's Diplomatic Background

Khalilur Rahman, who concurrently serves as Bangladesh's Foreign Minister, was elected Assembly President in June. He brings deep institutional familiarity to the role, having previously served in Bangladesh's UN mission, represented the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in New York, and held responsibility for economic, social, and development affairs in the UN Secretary-General's executive office. 'I'm an old-timer,' he said. 'I've seen it from probably, I should say, 360 degrees.'

He is maintaining both roles — Assembly President and Foreign Minister — while keeping them institutionally separate. When asked about the significance of his presidency for Bangladesh, he was careful to note that as President he represents all member states, not his home country.

What He Declined to Address

Rahman declined to confirm whether Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman would attend the BRICS summit in New Delhi this month, saying, 'I'm not here in national capacity, so please just forgive me' for not answering. The remark underscored his stated effort to keep his two roles clearly delineated.

Earlier in the ceremony, Rahman formally received the gavel — known as Thor's Hammer — from outgoing Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, marking the symbolic handover of the Assembly's leadership. All eyes will now be on his choice of IGN facilitators as the first concrete signal of how seriously this reform push will be pursued.