Foreign ministers from Japan, the United States, Australia and India committed Friday to advancing United Nations reform including an increase in permanent seats on the Security Council, as the world body faces challenges amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The foreign ministers of the four major Indo-Pacific democracies, which make up "the Quad," also underscored the need to "address attempts to unilaterally subvert the international and multilateral system" including the workings of the United Nations, according to a document issued after their meeting in New York.
The gathering took place as the United Nations has come to be viewed as dysfunctional in addressing international disputes, especially after Russia, a veto-wielding permanent member of the Security Council, launched a war against Ukraine in late February.