In a powerful address at the 79th United Nations General Assembly, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar issued a stark warning to Pakistan regarding its long-standing policy of cross-border terrorism. Highlighting the consequences of Pakistan's actions, he emphasized that its tactics will never succeed and have only led to economic and social decline. Explore the implications of his remarks and what they mean for the future of India-Pakistan relations. Join us as we delve into the complexities of this ongoing conflict and the urgent need for change.
#Jaishankar #Pakistan #Terrorism #UNGA #IndiaPakistanRelations #InternationalPolitics #GlobalSecurity #CrossBorderTerrorism #Diplomacy #Geopolitics #WorldAffairs
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#Jaishankar #Pakistan #Terrorism #UNGA #IndiaPakistanRelations #InternationalPolitics #GlobalSecurity #CrossBorderTerrorism #Diplomacy #Geopolitics #WorldAffairs
~PR.274~ED.102~HT.336~GR.121~
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NewsTranscript
00:00I now give the floor to His Excellency Sabrahan Yam Jai Shankar, Minister of External Affairs of India.
00:09Madam President, Excellencies, Distinguished Members of the General Assembly,
00:31Greetings and Namaskar from 1.4 billion people of Bharat.
00:39I congratulate the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Philemon Young,
00:46and strongly support the 79th UN General Assembly's theme of leaving no one behind.
00:55Madam President, We are gathered here at a difficult time.
01:02The world is yet to recover from the ravages of the COVID pandemic.
01:08A war in Ukraine is well into its third year.
01:14The conflict in Gaza is acquiring wider ramifications.
01:21Across the Global South, development plans have gone off-rails and SDG targets are receding.
01:31But there is more.
01:34Unfair trade practices threaten jobs just as unviable projects raise debt levels.
01:42Any connectivity that flouts sovereignty and territorial integrity acquires strategic connotations.
01:50Especially when it is not a shared endeavour.
01:55Technology advancements, which have long been a source of hope, are now equally a factor of anxiety.
02:04Climate events occur with greater intensity and frequency.
02:10Food security is as worrisome as health security.
02:17In truth, the world stands fractious, polarized and frustrated.
02:24Conversations have become difficult, agreements even more so.
02:30This is surely not what the founders of the United Nations would have wanted of us.
02:37Madam President,
02:39Almost exactly eight decades ago, the first steps towards the formation of the UN were taken near here at Dumbarton Oaks.
02:50Refined thereafter at the Yalta Conference, they were finally approved in San Francisco.
02:57The debates of that era centered around how to ensure world peace, a prerequisite for global prosperity.
03:08Today, we find both peace and prosperity equally endangered.
03:16And that, Madam President, is because trust has eroded and processes have broken down.
03:24Countries have extracted more from the international system than they have put into it, enfeebling it in the process.
03:34We see that vividly in every challenge and every crisis.
03:39Reforming multilateralism is therefore an imperative.
03:45The urgency of this call is highlighted by the theme of this session.
03:51Leaving no one behind means advancing peace, ensuring sustainable development and strengthening human dignity.
04:01This cannot be delivered by a UN paralyzed when faced with division, conflict, terrorism and violence.
04:11Nor can it be advanced if access to food, fuel and fertilizer is jeopardized.
04:19When capturing markets lacks restraint, it damages the livelihood and social fabric of others.
04:27Evasion of climate action responsibilities by the developed undermine the growth prospect of the developing.
04:35Indeed, when resource crunch limits the very pursuit of SDG targets, it is not just economies but human dignity itself that is imperative.
04:49If the world is in such a state, this body must ask itself, how has this come to pass?
04:58The problems arise from a combination of structural shortcomings, political calculations, naked self-interest and yes, disregard for those left behind.
05:15It is natural to feel overwhelmed by what we confront now.
05:21After all, there are so many dimensions, different moving parts, issues of the day and the changing landscape.
05:31But every change must begin somewhere and there is no better place than where it all started.
05:41We, the members of the United Nations, must now seriously and purposefully address ourselves to that task.
05:53Not because it is a competition for influence or a squabble for positions, but because if we carry on like this, the state of the world is only going to get worse.
06:06And that could mean that more of us are going to be left behind.
06:11Madam President, as the world contemplates these concerns, India has sought to respond in a variety of ways.
06:20First, by focusing on the issues of the vulnerable, women, farmers and youth.
06:28And fashioning targeted policies and initiatives for their betterment.
06:35Assured access to piped water, to electricity, to cooking gas and new homes are changing millions of lives.
06:45The gender gap has started to close, be it in health, in education or in the workplace.
06:53Our food producers, thrice a year, get financial support at the click of a button.
07:01And a third-term government has made skilling of the youth its key priority.
07:08Second, by expanding opportunities for employment and for entrepreneurship, including through stronger training and large-scale financial incentives.
07:21495 million Mudra loans have been given to small businesses in the last decade. 67% of them are to women.
07:35Equally telling, 6.56 million street vendors have availed of 8.85 million Swanidhi loans.
07:46This is just in the last four years. 45% of the beneficiaries are again women.
07:53Third, by creating templates that are applicable elsewhere.
07:59It could be digital delivery or enhancing the quality of governance and public services.
08:05As indeed, making medicines and health facilities accessible and affordable.
08:13A digital public infrastructure and a people's pharmacy are today examples of what India can readily offer to the world.
08:23It is also an alternative vision where technology is used to empower, not to dominate.
08:31Fourth, by encouraging the global south to voice its shared concerns and come together.
08:41To that end, we have convened three Global South Summits, the most recent in August of 2024.
08:49And fifth, by contributing to the well-being of the global commons and responding to the pressing needs of those in distress.
09:00This has ranged from undertaking projects in 78 nations, providing resources to neighbours,
09:08and responding to HADR situations, to supplying medicines and ensuring maritime safety and security.
09:18Madam President, given the scale of transformation underway in India,
09:24each of these dimensions underline that the world's problems can indeed be tackled.
09:31And that by working together, we can surely create a larger lifting tide.
09:38In these troubled times, it is necessary, Madam President, to provide hope and rekindle optimism.
09:48We have to demonstrate that big changes are possible, and not over a long period.
09:56And nothing is more powerful in this regard than the transformative potential of the digital.
10:04We have seen its impact in our daily lives in India over the last decade.
10:10It is visible when public benefits, from nutritional support and housing to energy and health, are delivered efficiently and on a vast scale.
10:21Or when small business loans and farmer support are extended without using intermediaries.
10:31In fact, when street vendors and expat workforce confidently use fintech in their regular transactions,
10:41when services delivery and benefits move seamlessly and transparently, less people will be left behind.
10:50That, Madam President, is India's experience and India's relevance.
10:57Such leapfrogging possibilities, coupled with people-centric policies and visionary leadership, can be real game-changers.
11:08When India lands on the moon, rolls out its own 5G stack, dispatches vaccines worldwide,
11:18embraces fintech, or houses so many global capability centers,
11:24there is a message here.
11:27Our quest for a vixit Bharat, or a developed India, will understandably be followed closely.
11:36Madam President, an important cause of many getting left behind has been the unfairness of the current globalization model.
11:48Over-concentration of production has hollowed out many economies, impacting their employment and social stability.
11:58Democratizing global production, building resilient supply chains, ensuring trusted digital services, and espousing an open-source culture, all these promote widespread prosperity.
12:15There are economic answers, just as there are social ones.
12:20Madam President, the UN has always maintained that peace and development go hand-in-hand.
12:29Yet, when challenges to one have emerged, due regard has not been given to the other.
12:37Clearly, their economic implications for the weak and vulnerable need to be highlighted.
12:45But we must also recognize that conflicts themselves must be resolved.
12:51The world cannot be fatalistic about the continuation of violence on a large scale, no more than be impervious to its broader consequences.
13:03Whether it is the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, the international community seeks urgent solutions.
13:13These sentiments must be acknowledged and acted upon.
13:18Madam President, the UN is a testimony to the agreed principles and shared objectives of the world order.
13:28Respect for international law and commitments are among the foremost in that regard.
13:35If we are to ensure global security and stability, then it is essential that those who seek to lead set the right example.
13:46Nor can we countenance egregious violations of our basic tenets.
13:54Terrorism is antithetical of everything that the world stands for.
14:01All its forms and manifestations must be resolutely opposed.
14:07The sanctioning of global terrorists by the United Nations should also not be impeded for political reasons.
14:16Madam President, many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control.
14:26But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences.
14:33A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan.
14:38Unfortunately, their misdeeds affect others as well, especially the neighbourhood.
14:45When this polity instils such fanaticism among its people, its GDP can only be measured in terms of radicalisation and its exports in the form of terrorism.
15:01Today, we see the ills it sought to visit on others consume its own society.
15:10It can't blame the world. This is only karma.
15:14Madam President, a dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others must be exposed and must be countered.
15:25We heard some bizarre assertions from it at this very forum yesterday.
15:31So let me make India's position perfectly clear.
15:37Pakistan's cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed.
15:43And it can have no expectation of impunity.
15:48On the contrary, actions will certainly have consequences.
15:54The issue to be resolved between us is now only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan.
16:04And of course, the abandonment of Pakistan's long-standing attachment to terrorism.
16:13Madam President, the global order is inherently pluralistic and diverse.
16:19The UN began with 51 members. We are now 193.
16:25The world has changed profoundly and so have its concerns and its opportunities.
16:31But to address both, and indeed to strengthen the order itself,
16:36it is essential that the UN be the central platform for finding common ground.
16:43And that it certainly cannot be by remaining anachronistic.
16:48Large parts of the world cannot be left behind when it comes to deciding the key issues of our times.
16:56An effective and efficient UN, a more representative UN, and a UN fit for purpose in the contemporary era is essential.
17:07Let us therefore send out a clear message from this UNGA session.
17:13We are determined not to be left behind.
17:17By coming together, sharing experiences, pooling resources, and strengthening our resolve,
17:24we can change the world for the better.
17:27I thank you, Madam President.
17:33I thank the Minister for External Affairs of India.