New York/New Delhi: Calling on the United Nations to reflect on changes in the world to stay relevant, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said reform in the character of the United Nations is the need of the hour and asked as to how long would India be left out of the decision making process of the UN.
Addressing the UN General Assembly on 75th anniversary of the UN, through video-conferencing, the PM said, 'the world of 1945 was significantly different from today’s world. The global situation, sources-resources, problems-solutions; all were quite different. And as a result the form and the composition of the institution, established with the aim of global welfare, were in accordance with the prevailing situation of those times.
Today we are in a completely different era. In 21st century, the requirements and challenges of our present as well as our future are vastly different from those of the past. If century changes and we don’t, then strength to bring changes becomes weak. Reform in the responses, in the processes, in the character of the United Nations is the need of the hour. '
The PM said that the people of India have been waiting for a long time for the completion of the reforms of the United Nations and asked as to how long would India be left out of the decision making process of the UN.
'It is a fact that the faith and respect that the United Nations enjoys in India are unparalleled. But it is also true that the people of India have been waiting for a long time for the completion of the reforms of the United Nations. Today, people of India are concerned whether this reform-process will ever reach its logical conclusion?
For how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations? A country, which is the largest democracy of the world, a country with more than 18 per cent of the world population, a country, which has hundreds of languages, hundreds of dialects, many sects, many ideologies, a country, which was a leading global economy for centuries.... How long would a country have to wait particularly when the changes happening in that country affect a large part of the world?,' 'the PM asked.
The PM said that India has always thought about the interests of the whole humankind.
'The ideals on which the United Nations was founded are quite similar to that of India and not different from its own fundamental philosophy. The words Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam, the whole world is a family, have often reverberated in this hall of the United Nations. We treat the whole world as one family. It is part of our culture, character and thinking. In the United Nations too, India has always given priority to the welfare of the whole world. India is the country, which sent its brave soldiers to about 50 peacekeeping missions.
India is the country that has lost the maximum number of its brave soldiers in the course of establishing peace. Today every Indian, while seeing the contribution of India in the United Nations, aspires for India’s expanded role in the United Nations. India has always thought about the interests of the whole humankind and not about its own vested interests. This philosophy has always been the driving force of India's policies. One can see the glimpses of this philosophy in India’s Neighbourhood First Policy to our Act East Policy, in the thought of Security and Growth for All in the Region, and in our approach towards the Indo Pacific region. India’s partnerships are also guided by this very principle. Any gesture of friendship by India towards one country is not against someone else. When India strengthens its development partnership, it is not with any malafide intent of making the partner country dependent or hapless. We have never hesitated from sharing experiences of our development,' the PM said
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