NEW DELHI: Reaffirming that India is Bharat at the beginning and end of his statement at the 78th Annual UNGA session in New York, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issues of terrorism and UNSC reform, while also hailing the success of the G20.
"Political convenience determines responses to terrorism, extremism and violence. Similarly, respect for territorial integrity and non-interference in internal affairs cannot be exercises in cherry picking. When reality departs from rhetoric, we must have the courage to call it out. Without genuine solidarity, there can never be real trust. This is very much the sentiment of the Global South," said Jaishankar.
His speech comes amid challenges faced by India with respect to cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, territorial dispute with China and the harbouring of Khalistani extremists by Canada.
"We often advocate the promotion of a rules-based order. From time to time, respect for the UN Charter is also invoked. But for all the talk, it is still a few nations who shape the agenda and seek to define the norms. This cannot go on indefinitely. Nor will it go unchallenged," said Jaishankar.
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Reforms in the UNSC have been talked about time and again, including increasing the number of members. Next year, the United Nations will be hosting the Summit of the Future. "This should serve as a serious opportunity to drive change, champion fairness and reform multilateralism, including the expansion of the Security Council membership," he added.
Hailing the success of the G20 Summit, Jaishankar said that India began its G20 Presidency with the Voice of the Global South Summit, enabling it to hear directly from 125 nations and place their concerns on the G20 agenda.
"At a time when East-West polarization is so sharp and North-South divide so deep, the New Delhi G20 Summit affirmed that diplomacy and dialogue are the only effective solutions. The international order is diverse and we must cater for divergences, if not differences. The days when a few nations set the agenda and expected others to fall in line are over," the EAM said.
At India’s initiative, the African Union was admitted as a permanent member of the G20.
"By doing so, we gave voice to an entire continent which has long been its due. This significant step in reform should inspire the United Nations, a much older organisation, to also make the Security Council contemporary. Broad representation is after all, a pre-requisite for both effectiveness and credibility," Jaishankar said.
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