The UN turns 80 this year. How is it being judged? Both disparagingly and with admiration says Ruchira Kamboj, Former Permanent Representative of India to the UN. In this podcast with Manjeet Kripalani, Executive Director, Gateway House, she explains the now-diminished U.S presence, the growing influence of China, the scope for reform and India’s position as an emerging global power.

Taiwan was one of the few countries to successfully contain COVID-19 during the pandemic. But China's influence led to Taiwan losing its observer status in the World Health Assembly (WHA), the WHO's decision-making body, in 2017, preventing learnings from Taiwan to be implemented. The G7 and Japan have already backed Taiwan’s reinstatement. India can use its chairmanship of the WHA to rally more support and change the status quo.

The COVID19 crisis has thrown into stark relief the strategic influence China wields across various agencies of the United Nations, especially the WHO. This raises the question - will the UN, as an important supra-governmental body, be able retain impartiality in the post-covid world order?