India / For how long will India be kept out of UN's decision-making structures: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday made a strong pitch for reforms at the United Nations and questioned for how long India will be “kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations”.

"Reform in the responses, in the processes, in the character of the United Nations is the need of the hour. It is a fact that the faith and respect that the United Nations enjoys in India are unparalleled. But it is also true that the people of India have been waiting for a long time for the completion of the reforms of the United Nations. Today, people of India are concerned whether this reform-process will ever reach its logical conclusion?," opined PM Modi.

 Addressing the 75th UN General Assembly’s General Debate virtually, Modi said while the UN enjoys “faith and respect” in India, it is also true that Indians “have been waiting for a long time for the process for the reforms of the United Nations to get completed. Today, people of India are concerned whether this reform-process will ever reach its logical conclusion”.

Modi also said India will continue to raise its voice against terrorism, drugs and money-laundering.

Highlighting India's credential for the high table, he expressed, "For how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations? A country, which is the largest democracy of the world, A country with more than 18% of the world population, A country, which has hundreds of languages, hundreds of dialects, many sects, many ideologies, A country, which was a leading global economy for centuries and also one which has seen hundreds of years of foreign rule."

He further said that it is time the UN does “serious introspection” of its work as there have been several wars that are being fought around the globe and terrorist attacks have shaken up the world.

“There are also several instances that point to the need for a serious introspection of the work of the United Nations. One could say that we have successfully avoided a third World War. But we cannot deny that there have been several wars and many more civil wars. Several terrorist attacks shook the world and rivers of blood have continued to flow by,” he said. 

He added, "When we were strong, we did not trouble the world; when we were weak, we did not become a burden on the world. How long would a country have to wait particularly when the changes happening in that country affect a large part of the world?"

“Today we are in a completely different era. In the 21st century, the requirements and challenges of our present as well as our future are vastly different from those of the past… With the changing times, if we don’t change, then the drive needed to bring the change will also get weakened,” he said.

Modi said India has taken a number of initiatives to do what is needed to become one of the permanent members of the UNSC, be it the ‘International Day of Yoga’ or the ‘International Solar Alliance’ or its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ — all are aimed at interests of mankind and not for its own self-interest.

“When we were strong, we were never a threat to the world, when we were weak, we never became a burden on the world. How long would a country have to wait particularly when the transformational changes happening in that country affect a large part of the world?” he asked.