PM Modi addressed the 75th UN General Assembly via video link Saturday night
New Delhi:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch on Saturday night for a more prominent role in the UN Security Council, the world’s highest decision-making forum, for India, asking “How long do we have to wait? away from the UN decision-making process? “
“When we were weak, we did not bother the world. When we became strong, we did not become a bojh (burden) to the world. How long do we have to wait? India has sent soldiers to UN peacekeeping missions and it has lost the most soldiers, “the prime minister said in powerful opening remarks.
“The ideals of the United Nations and the fundamental principles of India are similar. Vasudev Kutumbakam (the world is a family) has been echoed in the corridors of the UN many times. India has always thought of the welfare of the world, “he said.
Prime Minister Modi, who addressed the General Assembly virtually through a prerecorded speech, reminded the UN that 130 crore Indians still believed in his ideals, but said the world body needed to adapt and change to remain relevant in the world. actual times.
“A reform is needed in the United Nations and India is waiting for it to happen,” the prime minister said.
The Security Council (UNSC) is the highest decision-making forum in the UN and the only one that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions. There are five permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, China, Russia and France, each of whom has veto power.
India, which has previously served seven terms as an elected and non-permanent member, was re-elected for a two-year term in June (term begins January 1, 2021) along with Ireland, Mexico and Norway.
On India’s re-election, Prime Minister Modi tweeted that the country was “deeply grateful for the overwhelming support (of) the global community for India’s membership in the UN Security Council.”
Deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by the global community to India’s membership in the @UNITED NATIONS Security Council. India will work with all member countries to promote global peace, security, resilience and equity.
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 18, 2020
However, India has long sought a fixed role and a revamp of the current system.
Last week, the government said it was giving “top priority” to securing a permanent seat on a UN Security Council that “reflects contemporary global realities.”
India has been supported in that offer by four of the five permanent members, including the United States. In February, President Donald Trump said he was committed to working with India to strengthen and reform the UN.
However, there is “a section in the UN that supports expansion only in the non-permanent category,” V Muraleedharan, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told parliament last week.
On Wednesday, the grouping of India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA) expressed “frustration” at the “slow” pace of progress on Security Council reform and said the time had come to move towards a results-oriented process to expand the key global body.
The three countries, in a joint statement, strongly called for the reform of the United Nations Security Council to be accelerated, saying that any non-compliance can have serious implications for international peace and security.
In addition to running for permanent seat on the Security Council, in today’s speech the Prime Minister also said that India would help the world fight the coronavirus pandemic.
“As the largest vaccine producing country, I want to give one more assurance to the world community today,” he said, adding: “India’s vaccine production and delivery capacity will be used to help all of humanity in the fight against this crisis “.
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