The Strait of Hormuz came up during the meeting between the External Affairs minister S. Jaishankar and the President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Annalena Baerbock. They discussed the war in West Asia and its consequences, including on trade all over the world, with the Strait of Hormuz blocked and the Americans blockading Iranian ports. A ceasefire, she stressed, was "highly needed" and a "peaceful settlement" the responsibility of the UN.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, she spoke of the "blockade" and UNCLOS or the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, adding that "trade around the world" would be seriously affected. Much of India's crude oil and natural gas comes through the Strait of Hormuz and the war has led to considerable concern here as 85 percent of all petroleum is imported. China, importantly, imports much of Iranian crude oil and the naval blockade, will of course, be worrying. For, she said, the prices of oil and fertilizer will shoot up and the situation in Gaza was still unsettled as also, in Lebanon where over a million people were homeless. She added that the UN has condemned the attack on peacekeepers, about 600 of whom are Indian, in Lebanon.

UN reform as India and a number of other countries want permanent places in the UN Security Council, with New Delhi saying that in its current shape, it represents the world as it was in 1945. The UN will soon have a new Secretary General and Baerbock and Jaishankar also discussed the issue. She mentioned that there is considerable discussion about having a woman as Secretary General. There hasn't been a woman SG in 80 years. Of course, the decision is up to the member states.

Speaking about the UN's role (and there were questions about US President Donald Trump's plan for a Board of Peace, she pointed out that bringing peace was more difficult than talking about peace. This was a challenge for the UN and this has always been a challenge for the UN over the years.The 193 member states can join any groups, but all countries have a seat at the UN table, which is not about how powerful a country is.The UN, she said, can "ensure justice and accountability," and without UN peacekeepers, "nothing will be better," and the World Food programme was necessary in countries like Sudan, and the health programmes were also essential. The UN also looks at aviation safety and "no one will dare to enter an airplane," she added. The UNGA President acknowledged that "we have to do better," spoke of reform and added that internal efforts were necessary to ensure that different UN agencies did not do the same job.

Asked about the US military action in Venezuela and the President, Nicolas Maduro, being taken away by the US armed forces, she said human rights were important and the "use of force is prohibited by the UN charter." It was, she said, "a violation of the UN Charter."

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