Tag: United Nations

India Hindi UN

India ontributes USD 1,000,000 To Promote Hindi At UN

By LokMarg

India has contributed USD 1,000,000 to the United Nations as part of the initiative to promote the usage of the Hindi language at the global organisation.

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj handed over a cheque to Melissa Fleming, Under Secretary General of the United Nations Department of Global Communications towards the expansion of usage of the Hindi language in the United Nations.
“Investing in linguistic inclusivity! PR @ruchirakamboj handed a cheque of $1,000,000 to USG @MelissaFleming towards expanding the usage of #Hindi in @UN. With the Hindi@UN project, we are breaking barriers & enhancing public outreach,” the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations said in a tweet.

Meanwhile, Kamboj tweeted that this is a step towards fostering inclusive dialogue and understanding.

On this occasion, Ambassador Kamboj said, “Efforts of the United Nations to mainstream and consolidate news and multimedia content in the Hindi language have been appreciated in India and in countries where a Hindi-speaking population resides,” according to the statement.

She further stated that the Government of India will continue to promote the use of the Hindi language in the United Nations for this purpose. India is pleased to partner with the United Nations, the press statement read.

Hindi@UN project, in collaboration with the UN Department of Public Information of the UN, was launched in 2018, with the objective to enhance the public outreach of the United Nations in the Hindi language, and to spread greater awareness about global issues among millions of Hindi-speaking people around the world.

The UN News in Hindi is disseminated through the following platforms: The website of the UN News (https://news.un.org/hi/), Twitter handle @UninHindi, Instagram handle “unitednationshindi,” a UN Facebook Hindi page and a weekly UN News-Hindi audio bulletin (https://soundcloud.com/un-news-hindi)

With 50,000 current followers on Twitter, 29,000 on Instagram and 15,000 on Facebook, UN Hindi social media accounts publish nearly 1000 posts every year. The Hindi UN News website with 1.3 million annual impressions remains in the top ten in internet search engines. (ANI)

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UNSC Claim To Speak For World When Largest Democracy Is Not Permanent: Modi

By LokMarg

Making a strong pitch for India’s permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said the primary UN body cannot claim to be speaking for the world when its most populous country and the largest democracy is not a permanent member.

He made the remark during an interview with French newspaper ‘Les Echos’ ahead of his two-day official visit to France that begins later on Thursday.
On whether the credibility of UN was at stake, with India still not finding permanent membership of the UNSC, Prime Minister Modi said the UN was one of many global institutions that were founded in the wake of the Second World War, and it has to be seen whether they are representative of today’s world, which has transformed a lot in the last eight decades.

Further, speaking to Les Echos, PM Modi said, “The issue is not just of credibility, but something much larger. I believe that the world needs to have an honest discussion about the multilateral governance structures that were built in the aftermath of second World War.”

He added that nearly eight decades after the institutions were created, the world has transformed, the number of member-countries have grown four-fold and the character of the global economy has also changed.

“We live in an era of new technology. New powers have risen causing a relative shift in global balance. We face new challenges, including climate change, cyber security, terrorism, space security, pandemics. I could go on about the changes. In this changed world, many questions arise – are these representative of today’s world? Are they able to discharge the roles for which they were set up? Do countries around the world feel that these organizations matter, or are relevant?” PM Modi said.

He said, “How can the UN Security Council claim to be speaking for the world, when its most populous country and largest democracy is not a permanent member?”

“The UN Security Council, in particular, epitomises this dissonance. How can we talk of it as a primary organ of a global body, when entire continents of Africa and Latin America are ignored? How can it claim to speak for the world when its most populous country, and its largest democracy, is not a permanent member? And its skewed member-ship leads to opaque decision making processes, which adds to its helplessness in ad-dressing the challenges of today,” he added.

Appreciating the position of France in the matter, Prime Minister Modi said the voices of all countries must be heard with respect to proposed changes to the UN Security Council.

“I think most countries are clear on what changes they would like to see in the UN Security Council, including on the role India should play. We just need to listen to their voice and heed their advice. I must appreciate the clear and consistent position that France has taken in this matter,” he added.

Earlier, on Thursday, PM Modi embarked on the visit to France at the invitation of President Marcon.

He will be the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade of France on July 14, where the tri-services of the Indian armed forces contingent will be participating.

Three Rafale fighters will also perform a flypast in the parade.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the India–France Strategic Partnership and Prime Minister’s visit will provide an opportunity to chart the course of the partnership for the future across diverse sectors such as strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic cooperation.

During his France visit from July 13-14, PM Modi will hold formal talks with President Emmanuel Macron. Macron will host a State Banquet as well as a private dinner in honour of the Prime Minister.

Also, during his visit, PM Modi will meet the Indian diaspora and leading CEOs from both nations. (ANI)

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India's 'Remarkable' Poverty Reduction

UN Praises India’s ‘Remarkable’ Poverty Reduction

By LokMarg

A total of 415 million people in India came out of poverty within a span of just 15 years from 2005/2006 to 2019/ 2021, the United Nations said on Tuesday highlighting the remarkable improvement in human development parameters by the world’s most populous country.

The latest update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) with estimates for 110 countries was released today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.
Poverty entails more than the lack of income and productive resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods. People living on less than USD 1.90 a day typically is considered to be in poverty.

Besides India, China lifted 69 million out of poverty between 2010-2014, and Indonesia 8 million between 2012-2017.

In neighbouring Bangladesh and Pakistan, 19 million and 7 million individuals came out of poverty during 2015-2019 and 2012-2018, respectively, the UN report said.

The report asserted that poverty reduction is achievable. The analysis of trends from 2000 to 2022, focused on 81 countries, according to the report, revealed that 25 countries successfully halved their global MPI values within 15 years. Many countries have halved their MPI in as short as four to 12 years.

Among those countries include India, Cambodia, China, Congo, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco, Serbia, and Viet Nam, it said, reiterating rapid progress is attainable.

The poverty levels in Cambodia, Peru, and Nigeria have shown significant reductions recently. For Cambodia, the most encouraging case among these according to the report is the incidence of poverty falling from 36.7 per cent to 16.6 per cent, and the number of poor people halved, from 5.6 million to 2.8 million, all within 7.5 years, including pandemic years.

Despite the encouraging trends in many countries, the lack of post-pandemic data for most of the 110 countries covered by the global MPI restricts analysis of the pandemic’s effects on poverty, the report pointed out.

“As we reach the midpoint of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we can clearly see that there was steady progress in multidimensional poverty reduction before the pandemic. However, the negative impacts of the pandemic in dimensions such as education are significant and can have long-lasting consequences,” said Conceicao, Director of the Human Development Report Office.

“It is imperative that we intensify efforts to comprehend the dimensions most negatively affected, necessitating strengthened data collection and policy efforts to get poverty reduction back on track.”

According to the report, 1.1 billion out of 6.1 billion people (over 18 per cent) globally live in acute multidimensional poverty across 110 countries. Sub-Saharan Africa (534 million) and South Asia (389 million) are home to approximately five out of every six poor people.

Nearly two-thirds of all poor people (730 million people) live in middle-income countries, making “action in these countries vital for reducing global poverty”.

Although low-income countries constitute only 10 per cent of the population included in the MPI, they are, however, where 35 per cent of all poor people reside.

Among those living in poverty, children under 18 years old account for half (566 million). The poverty rate among children is 27.7 per cent, while among adults it is 13.4 per cent. (ANI)

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Afghanistan In UNSC meet

Afghanistan Discussed In UNSC Meet

By LokMarg

The UN special envoy for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva has said that the “April 5 restrictions against the Afghan women working for the United Nations places a question mark over our activities across the country,” TOLO News reported.

TOLO News is an Afghan news channel broadcasting from Kabul.
She said the Taliban gave no explanation to the UN for the ban.”We have been given no explanation by the de facto authorities for this ban and assurances that it will be lifted.”

Otunbayeva while speaking at the UN Security Council’s Meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, said that the UN does not want to put the lives of its female staff at risk and therefore asked them to not report to the office and also asked the male staff to stay home to respect non-discrimination.

Otunbayeva said that according to the initial media reports, cultivation of opium has significantly decreased and at the same time the opium economy has helped sustain parts of the rural economy in Afghanistan, and she urged donors to consider “allocating funding to alternative livelihood programs that address the specific needs of farmers” affected by the ban on poppy cultivation, as per TOLO News.

Lana Nusseibeh, Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to the United Nations, while speaking at the same meeting, said: “We must continue to insist on the inclusion of Afghan women and girls in Afghan society and this starts with education. We must see progress on the provision of education at all levels and up to the internationally expected standards and benchmarks. This is non-negotiable.”

She also expressed concerns about the requiring of a hand-over of educational programs, saying that this will result in subsequent donor funding withdrawal. This will be a “tragedy” not only for women and girls but the entire country, she said.

“We must safeguard women and girls’ access to the internet across the country as it is the only space where they currently move freely and today it is providing life-changing support to the education of girls in the country,” Nusseibeh said, as per TOLO News.

Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations, called for the removal of travel bans on the Islamic Emirate’s members.

He said: “To promote dialogue and engagement, it’s necessary for the Security Council Sanctions Committee to make a package of exemption arrangements for the international travel of the relevant person of the Afghan interim government.”

Meanwhile, the US deputy ambassador to the UN said that the US will also carefully “watch the Taliban’s action on the commitments they have stated they will uphold.” (ANI)

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China For Blocking Move In UN

India Slams China For Blocking Move In UN To Label 26/11 Accused As Global Terrorist

By LokMarg

India has lashed out at China for blocking proposals at the United Nations to designate Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba’s Sajid Mir as a “global terrorist.”

“…If we cannot get established terrorists who have been proscribed across global landscapes listed under security council architecture for pure geopolitical interest, then we do not really have the genuine political will needed to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism…,” Prakash Gupta, Joint Secretary, at the Ministry of External Affairs, said at the United Nations counter-terror meeting on Tuesday.

In a stern response to China’s move at a high-level summit, India without naming its neighbouring country said it “had strong reasons to believe that something was genuinely wrong in the global sanctions regime as manifested in the Security Council.”

Detailing a history of terror attacks in India, Gupta said, “India has faced the brunt of terrorism largely flowing from across our borders for well over three decades. Whether it is the Mumbai terror attack of 2008, the 2016 Pathankot Air Base attack, or the 2019 Pulwama terror attacks, we have lost several thousands of innocent civilians as well as the bravest of our armed forces in this battle against terrorism.”

“But regretfully, justice still continues to elude the victims of the Mumbai terror attacks,” he added.

The MEA Joint Secretary then played an audio in which Mir is heard instructing the attack on Chabad House, one of the terror targets in the Mumbai attack.

“Even as the terror attacks were unfolding, Sajid Mir, a very dreaded terrorist who directed the terrorists from across the border in real time to hunt down foreigners in the Taj Hotel and kill them indiscriminately. He was listed as a proscribed terrorist under the national laws of India. He was prescribed, under the laws of the United States, this host country and of several other countries globally, many of whose nationals lost their lives,” Gupta added.

He then in a veiled attack on China said, “When the proposal for labelling him as a global terrorist did not go through the Security Council sanctions regime, we had strong reasons to believe that something was genuinely wrong in the global sanctions regime as manifested in the Security Council.”

“We really do not have the genuine political will needed to sincerely fight this challenge of terrorism,” India said.

Even 15 years after the Mumbai terrorist attacks, its masterminds have not yet been brought to justice.

So the first and most critical gap we feel addressing is avoiding double standards and this self-defeating justification of good terrorists versus bad terrorists.

The MEA joint secretary also reiterated PM Modi and said, “We consider that even a single attack is one too many, and even a single life lost is one too many.”

On Tuesday, Beijing blocked the proposal that had been moved by the US and co-designated by India to blacklist Mir under the 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council as a global terrorist and subject him to assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo.

China’s blocking of the proposal by US and India comes as prime minister Narendra Modi is in the US for his first State visit.

Sajid Mir, one of India’s most wanted terrorists, is wanted for his involvement in the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. Mir served as the chief planner of the attacks, directing preparations and reconnaissance, and was one of the Pakistan-based controllers during the attacks.

“Beginning on November 26, 2008, and continuing through November 29, 2008, ten attackers trained by the Pakistan-based foreign terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) carried out a series of coordinated attacks against multiple targets in Mumbai, including hotels, cafes, and a train station, killing approximately 170 people. Six Americans were killed during the three-day attacks,” the FBI website reads.

Earlier in 2022, India at the UN counter-terror meet in Mumbai revealed in detail Pakistan’s role in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack by playing Pakistan-based terrorist Sajid Mir’s audiotape. In the audio clip, he is heard directing the attack on Chabad House during Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks.

Meanwhile, China, in recent months, has blocked several bids to designate several terrorists based in Pakistan. In October last year, Beijing put on hold a proposal to list Talha Saeed, son of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed. This bid was moved by India and co-supported by the US, under the 1267 sanction regime.

It was the fifth time that China has blocked an India-US proposal in recent months, Lashkar-e-Taiba member Shahid Mahmood in October, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Sajid Mir in September, LeT and Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) leader Abdul Rehman Makki in June, as well as Abdul Rauf Azhar in August, the brother of Jaish-e Mohammed (JEM) chief Masood Azhar, were protected by Beijing. (ANI)

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Modi Praises Artificial Intelligence G20

World Should Be Asked If It Wants India To Be There: Modi On UN Security Council M’ship

By LokMarg

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who on Tuesday departed for a historic State visit to the United States said there is “unprecedented trust” between the leaders of the US and India as ties between New Delhi and Washington are “stronger and deeper” than ever, according to an interview in the Wall Street Journal.

India moves to secure what PM Modi sees as its rightful place on the world stage at a moment of geopolitical turmoil and overall, his message was that–from India’s role in global politics to its contributions to the world economy–the country’s time has come, the US publication said in the interview published today.
He sought to portray New Delhi as the natural leader of the global South, in sync with and able to give voice to developing countries’ long-neglected aspiration, according to the WSJ.

“India deserves a much higher, deeper and wider profile and a role on the world stage,” the Prime Minister said in the interview with the Wall Street Journal at his residence in New Delhi taken ahead of his first official State visit to the US.

“We do not see India as supplanting any country. We see this process as India gaining its rightful position in the world,” PM Modi said.

PM Modi called for reforms to global institutions such as the United Nations to make them more representative in a multipolar world order and of the world’s less affluent countries from the consequences of climate change to debt reduction.

When asked whether India would like to be a permanent member of the Security Council, PM Modi said there has to be an evaluation of the current membership of the council and “The world should be asked if it wants India to be there.”

He said that India’s time has come in contributing to global politics and to the world economy as well.

Relating many of the world’s problems, such as terrorism, proxy wars and expansionism, to the failure of the UN, PM Modi said that global institutions such as the UN must change.

“Look at the membership of key institutions–does it truly represent the voice of democratic values?” the PM asked, adding, “A place like Africa–does it have a voice? India has such a huge population and is a bright spot in the global economy, but is it present?”

The Prime Minister underscored India’s role as a contributor of troops for peacekeeping operations around the world.

PM Modi also said that India not only tolerates but also celebrates its diversity.

He said, “For thousands of years, India has been the land where people of all faiths and beliefs have found the freedom to coexist peacefully and prosper,” adding, “You will find people of every faith in the world living in harmony in India.”

On the economic front, PM Modi has received acclaim for eliminating bureaucracy, easing regulations, and creating more favourable conditions for foreign direct investment. India is now the most populated country in the world, surpassing China. Additionally, it has a young population, which indicates a substantial demographic dividend.

PM Modi-led government has made significant investments in infrastructure and education, and as global corporations try to diversify their supply chains in a time of geopolitical unrest, the government stands to benefit, according to the WSJ report.

Regarding this PM Modi said, “Let me be clear that we do not see India as supplanting any country. We see this process as India gaining its rightful position in the world,” adding, “The world today is more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. To create resilience, there should be more diversification in supply chains,” Wall Street Journal reported. (ANI)

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WHO Sudan

413 Dead In Sudan Fighting: WHO

By LokMarg

The World Health Organization (WHO) said that 413 people have died in the current Sudan conflict, while the UN children’s agency said children are paying a high price, with at least nine reportedly killed in the fighting and more than 50 badly injured, Turkish News Agency Anadolu reported.

WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told in a UN press conference that according to figures from the government in Sudan, 413 people have died and 3,551 injured in the conflict.
The fighting is part of ongoing clashes between the country’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

She said there had been 11 verified attacks on health facilities, including 10 since April 15.

“According to the Ministry of Health in Sudan, the number of health facilities that have stopped working is 20. And also, according to Ministry of Health numbers, the number of health facilities at risk of stopping is 12,” said Harris.

“So this means that all those people who need care, and this is not only the people who’ve been injured hearings, terrible fighting, but that the people who were needing treatment before and continuing treatment,” are impacted, said the WHO spokesperson, Anadolu reported.

At the same press conference, UNICEF spokesperson James Elder said, “Clearly, as ever, the fighting takes a devastating toll on children.

“We now have reports of at least nine children killed and at least 50 injured. Those numbers will continue to rise as long as fighting continues,” he added.

Elder said large numbers of people are trapped and do not have access to electricity, Anadolu reported.

“They’re terrified of running out of food, water, and medicines,” he said, adding, “One of our grave concerns is around hospitals that have come under fire.”

Elder said Sudan already had one of the world’s highest malnutrition rates among children.

“And we’ve now got a situation where critical life-saving support for around 50,000 children is at risk,” said the UNICEF spokesperson.

The fighting also puts at risk “the cold chain” in Sudan, including over USD 40 million worth of vaccines and insulin, due to breaks in the power supply and the inability to restock generators with fuel, said Elder.

UNICEF also has reports of children sheltering in schools and care centres while fighting rages around them and of children’s hospitals forced to evacuate as shelling moves closer, Anadolu reported.

Elder said before the escalation in violence in Sudan, the humanitarian needs of children in the country were high, with three-quarters of children estimated to live in extreme poverty.

At the same time, 11.5 million children and community members needed emergency water and sanitation services, 7 million children were out of school, and more than 600,000 children suffered from severe acute malnutrition.

Fighting erupted last Saturday between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum and its surroundings, Anadolu reported.

Sudan has been without a functioning government since October 2021, when the military dismissed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok’s transitional government and declared a state of emergency in what political forces called a “coup.” (ANI)

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Ruchira Silencing The Guns In Africa

Ruchira Lays Down 6-Point Plan On Silencing The Guns In Africa

By LokMarg

India’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Ruchira Kamboj, laid down a six-point plan at the UN Security Council to support African efforts in Silencing the Guns by the end of this decade.

Addressing the UNSC on Friday, Kamboj began by congratulating the delegation of Mozambique for a very successful presidency and also for organising Friday’s debate.
Kamboj said, “Several countries in Africa, particularly in the Sahel, Central Africa and the Horn of Africa, continue to be conflict-ridden by factors that are driven by chronic political instability, ethnic divisions, and exploitation by terrorist and armed groups. There is also the role of external factors in fuelling such conflicts, which continues to be a matter of deep concern.”

She added, “We thus all need to come together to support African efforts in silencing the guns by the end of this decade.”

Then she laid out her six-point plan on Silencing the Guns in Africa.

Presenting her first point, Kamboj said, “One inclusive politics, well-established governance structures, and a decentralized administration are critical elements in the nation-building process, which could be long and complex processes, particularly for countries ravaged by colonial rule lasting centuries. It is important to recognize the primacy of national governments and authorities in identifying and driving priorities, strategies and activities for sustaining peace development and to avoid a relapse into conflict.”

“Two, we need to acknowledge and accept African leadership and African-driven solutions to Africa’s problems. This, I understand, was stated in as many words by the Honourable President of Mozambique yesterday at the United Nations. Trying an external, one-size-fit-all solution is a sure-fire recipe for failure. Deeper understanding of conflicts in Africa that best responds to their local wisdom and developing a sense of ownership is a critical factor in resolving such conflicts and achieving lasting peace,” said Kamboj, articulating the second point.

Putting forward her third point, she said, “Three the Council needs to fully leverage the comparative advantage of Africa’s regional and sub-regional organizations to resolve prolonged conflicts. Collaboration between the United Nations and the African Union and sub-regional organizations such as the ECOWAS, the ECCAS, the SADC and the IGAD has always yielded positive results.”

“Four, terrorism needs to be contained given that this is the biggest security threat in Africa, it is important to strengthen the capacities of national, regional and sub-regional responses to terrorism in Africa through capacity building, training equipment and sustainable financial support bilaterally as well as multilaterally initiatives such as AMISOM, the G5 Sahel joint force, the SAMIM and the multinational joint task force need more robust support from the Security Council and the international community,” India’s permanent envoy to the UN added.

Kamboj said, “Five, peacebuilding efforts in Africa need to be strengthened. Major donors, particularly developed countries and international financial institutions, should ramp up their ODA commitments and eliminate barriers to concessional financing to the economies of Africa so that they can achieve development goals enshrined in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063.”

She said, “Six, for this Council’s credibility, it is important that Africa is given permanent representation in its decision-making. In every debate on such issues pertaining to Africa in the United Nations Security Council, India has consistently called for ensuring that Africa’s aspirations. The council needs to move way beyond mere lip service to Africa’s core concerns.”

“India has been supporting several countries of Africa through development partnerships, capacity building, including of security forces and institutions, scholarships, vocational training and knowledge sharing, providing preferred market access to African products,” she added.

“India will continue to do its utmost to support our African brethren in their quest for sustainable peace and as our external affairs minister, S Jaishankar, had aptly put it, and I will quote him in India, you will always find a friend willing to stand with you through thick and thin,” Kamboj signed off saying.

Notably, ‘Silencing the Guns in Africa’ agenda is a flagship initiative of the Africa Union’s Agenda 2063, which aspires to end all wars and conflicts, prevent genocide, and eliminate gender-based violence. (ANI)

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Global Decision-Making Doesn’t Reflect Today’s Politics: G20

Global Decision-Making Doesn’t Reflect Today’s Politics: G20

By LokMarg

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said that the decision-making at multilateral organizations like the United Nations doesn’t reflect the realities of present-day politics, economics, or aspirations of the people at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (G20FMM) held here.

Highlighting the flaws in the global decision-making process at the United Nations while addressing the foreign delegates at G20FMM, he said, “Current global architecture is in its 8th decade. The number of members of the UN has quadrupled in this period. It neither reflects today’s politics, economics, demographics or aspirations. Since 2005, we have heard sentiments for reform being expressed at the highest level. But as we all know, these have not materialised. The reasons are no secret either. The longer we put it off, the more the credibility of multilateralism stands eroded. Global decision-making must be democratised if it has to have a future.”
The G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting commenced with a minute’s silence observed for those who lost their lives in the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

“Before I commence proceedings, let us observe a minute of silence in memory of the many who lost their lives in the devastating earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria. Our deepest condolences to the bereaved families,” said Jaishankar.

The EAM began the first session of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting by reminding foreign delegates that “this grouping bears an exceptional responsibility.”

“We first came together in the midst of a global crisis and are today, once again, actually confronting multiple ones. These include the impact of the Covid pandemic, concerns of fragile supply chains, the knock-on effects of ongoing conflicts, anxiety of debt crises and the disruption of climate events. In considering these issues, we may not all always be of one mind. In fact, there are some matters of sharp differences of opinions and views. Yet, we must find common ground and provide direction, because that is what the world expects of us,” said Jaishankar.

Speaking on the future of multilateralism, he said, “As we look ahead, there are both pressing and more systemic challenges that we all confront. The future of multilateralism depends very much on our ability to strengthen it in a changing world.”

He focussed on developing cooperation to mitigate the food crisis magnified by recent events.

“Food and energy security are immediate anxieties, magnified by recent events. But they do have long-term repercussions and solutions. And development cooperation is part of that larger solution that we are deliberating upon today,” said Jaishankar.

He also discussed the agendas for today’s discussions that included challenges of food, fertilizers and fuel security that are make-or-break issues for developing countries.

“We heard their concerns directly in January this year through the Voice of Global South Summit. Such issues should not be relegated to the periphery of the international discourse. They are infact, crucial to the global economy and must be treated as such. Indeed, we urge that they be central to any decision-making. Along with that, the world must also strive for more reliable and resilient supply chains. Recent experience has underlined the risks of being dependent on limited geographies,” said the EAM.

He said that G20 group have individually and collectively an obligation to contribute to international growth and prosperity, adding that these can be implemented through sustainable partnerships and goodwill initiatives.

“On its part, India has undertaken development projects in 78 countries and has actively encouraged exchanges and capability building. During the Covid pandemic, we made a conscious effort at contributing to global solutions even while looking after our own. Today’s situation demands that we continue to live up to our international responsibilities. The G20 must be sensitive to all our partners’ priorities and economic concerns, especially those more vulnerable. We must ensure demand-driven and sustainable development cooperation based on country ownership and transparency. Respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity are essential guiding principles for such cooperation,” added Jaishankar.

He reaffirmed that G20 Foreign Ministers can send a collective message of its determination to address the complex challenges that the world face at this juncture, adding, “I look forward to our deliberations in this regard.” (ANI)

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Jaishankar about China LAC

China Has Unilaterally Tried To Change LAC: Jaishankar

By LokMarg

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar on Monday lambasted China for trying to unilaterally change the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In an interview with the Austrian ZIB2 podcast, a daily news magazine of ORF television, Jaishankar said, “We had an agreement not to unilaterally change the LAC, which they have tried to unilaterally do. So there is, I think, an issue, a perception that we have which derives directly from our experiences.”
The Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake in the west of the LAC, have hosted flashpoints in recent years. In the east Tawang was the site of the latest India-China scuffle.

“I think there’s a larger concern based on our experiences. The concern is that we had agreements with China not to amass forces in our border areas, and they have not observed those agreements, which is why we have the currently tense situation that we do,” he said.

Recently, India and China held the 17th Round of Corps Commander Level Meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Chinese side on December 20 and agreed to maintain security and stability on the ground in the Western Sector.

Speaking about China trying to change the status quo, he said that China may blame India for not following the agreements, however, the satellite pictures could clearly show who was at the fault.

“Now, where else the status quo may change or not change? I would hesitate as a foreign minister to predict publicly. I may have my own views and assessments, but I certainly can share my experience. And my experience is that written agreements were not observed and that we have seen levels of military pressure, which, in our view, has no justification. China would say the opposite. They would say that India had not obeyed different agreements. But obviously, no, I think it’s difficult for China to say that. For this reason, the record is very clear, because today there’s a lot of transparency. You have satellite pictures. If you see who moved the forces to the border areas first, I think the record is very clear. So it’s very difficult for China to say what you suggested they could,” said Jaishankar.

Commenting on India which is likely to overtake China as the most populous country, and its place in world politics, Jaishankar said, “India will probably overtake China as the world’s most populous country within this year. Is this fact of any political significance to India, or is it just a mere statistic? You know, we’ll know that when we reach there, won’t we? Because we have never used numbers in that manner. Maybe other countries have. I would still say it is a statistic to a large extent,” to ZIB2.

He also highlighted the need for reforms in the United Nations, saying that the world’s most populous country is not among the permanent members of the Security Council.

“What does it say about the state of the UN? If that is the case? So it’s both a yes and a no. It’s partly a statistic, but I think it’s a statistic that means a lot. For several years, you have called for a permanent seat on the Security Council as if Brazil as Japan, or Germany. How long will it take, from your point of view, till this reform of the Council will actually become reality? Well, ideally, we’d like it yesterday, of course, but the problem, I think, is that those who are today enjoying the benefits of permanent membership clearly are not in a hurry to see the reform. I think it’s a very short-sighted view, in my opinion, because at the end of the day, the credibility of the UN, and frankly, their own interests and effectiveness, is at stake. So my sense is it will take some time, hopefully not too much time,” said Jaishankar.

He also underscored that the UN is not represented evenly, he said, “I can see a growing body of opinion among UN members who believe that there must be change. It’s not just us. You have entire Africa, entire Latin America left out developing countries vastly underrepresented, I think, the state of the world. This was an organization invented in 1945. It’s 2023. And when you would have to guess for a year when this will happen, what would it be? No, I wouldn’t guess, because I know the complexities of this process. It’s a tough one. I would be honest with you. It’s a tough one. But I don’t think we should give up because it’s a tough one. On the contrary, because it’s a tough one, we should actually up the ante, increase the feeling in bad parts of the world that this reform is essential.” (ANI)

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