Modi said India believes the ‘path to achieving sustainable peace and prosperity is through multilateralism’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday made a fresh pitch for the reform of multilateral institutions such as the United Nations to make them more representative of the current world order.

“Multilateralism needs to represent the reality of the contemporary world. Only reformed multilateralism with a reformed UN as its centre can meet the aspirations of humanity," Modi said in a speech to the UN Economic and Social Council’s 2020 high-level segment on ‘Multilateralism after covid-19: what kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary?’

Modi said India firmly believed the “path to achieving sustainable peace and prosperity is through multilateralism".

“Today, while celebrating 75 years of the UN, let us pledge to reform the global multilateral system to enhance its relevance to improve its effectiveness and to make it the basis of a new type of human-centric globalization," Modi said in his 14-minute speech delivered via video.

India’s reaffirmation of its commitment to multilateralism comes amid a wave of nationalism across the world, putting the ideals of multilateralism under increasing strain. The US, for instance, has announced that it is pulling out of the World Health Organization, citing its less-than-accurate assessment of the impact of the covid pandemic. Washington has also been stymieing the working of WTO.

Modi said: “Today the fury of the pandemic provides the context for its (UN’s) rebirth and reform. Let us not lose this chance."

Pointing out that India had been elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council “at this very important time," Modi said: “With our deep commitment to maintaining global harmony to improving socio-economic equity and to preserving nature’s balance, India will play its role in full support of the UN agenda."

India will sit on the UN’s decisionmaking body for two years starting 1 January.

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