UNGA meeting to consider the Report of Secretary-General on the work of the Organization

(24 January 2022)

INDIA STATEMENT

By Mr. Dinesh Setia, Second Secretary

We thank Secretary-General António Guterres for his comprehensive report on the work of the Organization and for his briefing to the General Assembly on his priorities going forward.

The Secretary-General’s report presents us with a sobering account of a complex global landscape in constant flux and highlights the unfinished agenda of development and reform.

We share the Secretary-General’s conviction that a vibrant, credible and effective United Nations is a critical defence against the pressures being faced by the global order. We welcome the Secretary-General’s continuing initiative to modernize and reform the Secretariat and make the United Nations fit for purpose, including streamlining the peace and security architecture, achieving gender parity and addressing the financial sustainability of the Organization.

India will continue to support the Secretary-General in the implementation of these initiatives, including through voluntary contributions, as appropriate.

We commend the Secretary-General’s stewardship of the United Nations response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. While the world witnessed significant gains in the eradication of poverty in the past decade, the catastrophic COVID-19 pandemic is threatening to reverse the gains made, pushing millions people into poverty again. Designing effective strategies to eradicate poverty will continue to remain a persistent challenge for humankind in the decade of action.

We also welcome the efforts to strengthen the United Nations partnership with troop- and police-contributing countries, through the Action for Peacekeeping initiative. As one of the leading contributors of troops, we appreciate the prioritizing of efforts to increase the number of female uniformed personnel, as well as promoting women’s meaningful inclusion in peace processes. We honour the service of those peacekeepers and humanitarian workers who have given their lives in the past years, serving the United Nations and trying to better the lives of others.

India is doing its part in fostering global solidarity and response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic has raged across the world, India has not let that scale down its engagement with the rest of the world in the sphere of peacebuilding and the COVID-19 response.

In the last one year, India has joined the global efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. My Prime Minister’s call for "One Earth One Health” approach underlines our continuing commitment, already evident in the supply of medicines to over 150 countries; and vaccines to many nations in the developing world. India is gearing up to produce more vaccines for the world and we have pledged to make our production and delivery capacity available for the greater good of humanity. The enormous power of digital and information technology has been a key component of global response to COVID. Utilizing our strength in the digital space, India has decided to share with the world, India-developed Co-WIN App, to provide digital support to better organize vaccination drives. We cannot afford a vaccine-divide.

Mr. President,

Our inability to seriously address terrorism — the most dangerous of scourges faced by States and societies since the Second World War — casts doubt on the relevance of the Organization for the very people whom the Charter of the United Nations obliges us to protect. The United Nations has yet to agree on a common definition, let alone craft a coherent well-coordinated policy to tackle terrorism and dismantle its enabling networks. We have failed ourselves by continuing to procrastinate on concluding a comprehensive convention against international terrorism.

India is a leader in the area of climate action. India now ranks 4th in the world in installed renewable energy capacity. India's non-fossil fuel energy has increased by more than 25% in the last 7 years and has reached 40% of our energy mix. Along with this, India has also given institutional solutions to build cooperation at the international level. We initiated the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.  These are noteworthy initiatives that will make a real difference. The world is also developing awareness that lifestyle change plays a critical role. At the COP summit in Glasgow, my Prime Minister has called for LIFE: Lifestyle For Environment (LIFE) as a mass movement.

Lastly, the effectiveness, relevance and longevity of any institution lie in its dynamic character and ability to adapt itself to the changing times. As long as the key organs of the Organization remain anchored in a governance structure frozen in the past, the crisis of legitimacy and performance will persist. Four decades have gone by since the inscription of the item on the reform of the Security Council on the agenda of the General Assembly. As we start work in the new year, let us strive to ensure that this year is the one that finally delivers some concrete progress with regard to a Security Council and a United Nations that reflect the realities of the contemporary world.

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