PM Modi makes strong pitch for India’s inclusion in Security Council, says reforms in United Nations is need of the hour

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that reforms in the United Nations is the need of the hour. Addressing the 75th United Nations General Assembly session, PM Modi made a strong pitch for India’s inclusion as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.

PM Modi asked as to how long India with its unique contribution to the UN will be “kept out of the decision-making structures” of the world body.

He said, the world has undergone a sea change and it is vastly different from the times that prevailed in 1945. He pointed out that while there has not been a third world war, there have been several wars, civil wars and terrorist attacks that shook the world.

Addressing the 75th United Nations General Assembly in Hindi through video-conferencing, PM Modi said the international community is faced with a very important question about the relevance of United Nations in current times.

“Reform in the responses, in the processes, and in the very character of the United Nations is the need of the hour. For how long will India be kept out of the decision-making structures of the United Nations?,” PM Modi asked.

“This is a country, which has hundreds of languages, hundreds of dialects, many sects, and many ideologies; This is a country, which was a leading global economy for centuries and also one which has endured hundreds of years of foreign rule. 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.

#WATCH PM Narendra Modi addresses the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), via video conferencing https://t.co/u6CQIrvegn

— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2020

Barring China, all 4 permanent members of UNSC have expressed support for India’s candidature for a permanent seat in the security council. PM Modi also referred to India’s contributions to about 50 UN peace missions over the decades.

“India has always given priority to the welfare of the whole world. India is the country, which sent its brave soldiers to about 50 peacekeeping missions the world over to keep peace. India is that country, which in the course of maintaining peace, has lost the maximum number of its brave soldiers Today every Indian, while seeing the contribution of India in the United Nations, aspires for India’s expanded role in the United Nations,” he said.

He called for a “serious introspection of the work of the United Nations” as there have been several wars, terrorist attacks which shook the world.

He said 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. In these wars and in these attacks, the people who died, they are people just like you and me. Hundreds and thousands of children, who would have otherwise enriched this world with their presence, have left us prematurely,” he said.