PM Modi pitches strongly for fast-tracking UNSC reforms

NEW YORK: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a robust pitch for fast-tracking reform and expansion of the UN Security Council during his speech at the Sustainable Development Summit in New York on September 25. “We must reform the United Nations including its Security Council so that it carries greater credibility and legitimacy,” he said in a speech peppered with Sanskrit shlokas.

As the United Nations officially adopted the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and 169 targets aimed at resolving global social, economic and environmental problems, Mr Modi underlined that “poverty eradication is on top of our agenda”. He began the address by quoting Mahatma Gandhi: “One must care about the world one will not see” . Here are some of the highlights from Mr Modi’s speech at the summit.

Highlights

“We must reform the United Nations including its Security Council so that it carries greater credibility and legitimacy.”
The Post-2015 Development Agenda focuses on solving many problems
Poverty eradication on top of our agenda
World that is peaceful, system that is just and development that is sustainable, that is our responsibility
Our national plans to ensure sustainable development are purposeful and ambitious
We are here today at the UN, because we believe that international partnership must be at the centre of our efforts
The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities is the bedrock of our enterprise for a sustainable world
Need to change our lifestyles in order to reduce energy dependency
Working on making farmers less vulnerable to the vagaries of nature
While addressing climate change, it is important to focus on solutions that help us reach our goals.
Hope developed countries will meet their commitment on climate change.
Today, much of India’s development agenda is mirrored in the Sustainable Development Goals.
Women’s development is integral part of all our development plans.
Working on insurance benefits to the poor. Very few in India have benefit of a pension. We are working on it.
Education and skill development are priorities in India, we are working in mission mode on financial inclusion too
Agriculture, manufacturing, smart cities are other priorities. We are committed to a sustainable path to prosperity
May all be happy, may all be healthy, may all see welfare, may no one have any sorrow.

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