PM Modi at UNGA: 'How long will India be kept out of decision-making structures of UN'

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) at the summit in New York.
• These are the highlights of PM Narendra Modi’s 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly speech.
• Check out the latest news and updates on Business Insider.

Addressing the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the need for ‘serious introspection’ of issues by the United Nations (UN). He also called for a larger role for India to play in the global body. Modi questioned the UN, "For how long will India be kept out of the decision making structures of the UnitedNations?"

“If we evaluate the performance of the UN over the last 75 years, we see several achievements. But at the same time, there have been several instances that point to the need for a serious introspection of the work of the UN,” said Modi.

He also hailed India’s vaccine production at the UN and assured that the country will work with global nations for the development of the coronavirus vaccine.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) today. Owing to the pandemic the UNGA this year is largely being held online, and PM Modi delivered a virtual address at the summit in New York.

Watch the full speech here:


These are the highlights of PM Narendra Modi’s speech:

• On the 75th UNGA, I wish all the countries on behalf of 130 core Indians. India is proud of the fact that it is a part of the UN Assembly. On this historic occasion, in this global platform to share the sentiments of 1.3 billion Indians. The world of 1945 was very different from today’s world. The global problems, solutions everything was very different. And, in this scenario, the formation of the institutions for global welfare was according to the situation of that time. Today we are in a completely different era. In this 21 century, our present and the future challenges and needs are much different from the past.
• If we evaluate the performance of the UN over the last 75 years, we see several achievements. But at the same time, there have been several instances that point to the need for a serious introspection of the work of the UN.
• We successfully avoided a 3rd World War, but we cannot deny the fact that there have been several other wars. Terrorist attacks have shaken the world. In these attacks, people like you and me have died. Thousands of children who could have been among us have died. Over the past 8 to 9 months, the world has been battling the Coronavirus pandemic. Where is the UN in this joint fight against the pandemic, where is its effective response?
• Changes in the responses, in the processes, and in the very character of the United Nations is the need of the hour. The faith and the respect that the 1.3 billion people of India have for the UN is incomparable to other nations. But this is also true that the people of India have been waiting for this reform-process for a very long time. Today they are concerned that this process will ever reach a logical decision. For how long will India be left out of the decision making process of UN
• When India was strong, we were never a threat to anyone; when we were weak, we never became a burden on the world. The country that influences the world will have to wait till when? The Ideals on which the UN was formed, and India’s very own fundamental ideology is very much the same. In the halls of the UN, one word has often been heard, “vasudhaiva kutumbakam”, the world is one family. Even at the UN, India has always preferred the welfare of the world over everything.
• India is the country which has sent its brave soldiers to nearly 50 peacekeeping missions. India has lost the maximum number of its soldiers in keeping peacekeeping missions. Today every Indian aspires for its expanded role in the UN, seeing India’s contributions towards it.
• India has never thought of its personal benefits but has rather given importance to the interests of the whole humankind. This philosophy has been a driving force for Indian policies. From Neighbourhood First policy to Act East policies, our views towards the Indo-Pacific, we have always thought of interests of all humankind. This also governs India’s friendship basis. When India extends the hand of friendship to someone, it is not against any other country. When India strengthens the partnership, there is no thought of forcing another country behind it.
• In this challenging time of the pandemic, India’s pharma industry has sent essential medicines to more than 150 countries. As the world’s largest pharma industry country, I want to give another assurance to the global community. India’s vaccine production and vaccine delivery capability will work to take the whole humanity out of this crisis. India, along with its neighbours is now walking towards Phase III of the vaccine and the country will help all the nations in making a vaccine.
• India will always raise its voice for peace, security and prosperity of the global community. India will not hesitate to speak for humanity and its enemies like terrorism, smuggling of illegal arms drugs and money laundering. Over the past few years, with the mantra of Reform-Perform-Transform, India has brought major changes in the lives of many Indians.
• In just 4-5 years, it was not easy to connect more than 400 million people to the banking system, but India made it possible. Today India is among the leading countries in the world in terms of digital transactions. Today India is running a campaign to deliver drinking water from pipes to nearly 150 million homes in the villages. India also at the initial stage of connecting more than lakh villages to the internet via optical fibre. India is now moving forward with the “Self reliant India” objective. The self-reliant India campaign will also be a force multiplier for the global economy.
• We are ensuring that benefits are given to every individual without any bias-ness. To promote women entrepreneurship India is making efforts on a huge scale. Indian women are being benefited the most by the world’s largest micro-financing schemes.

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