Narendra Modi during his speech at the UNGA.
New Delhi: The prime minister, Narendra Modi, addressed the 79th session of the United Nations general assembly, named “Summit of the Future”. In his address, which he made in Hindi, Modi, representing the world’s largest democracy and its 1.4 billion citizens, articulated a vision for a human-centric global future.
The prime minister emphasized the necessity of prioritizing a human-centric approach when discussing the global future. He underscored the importance of sustainable development, coupled with ensuring human welfare, food, and health security. Highlighting India’s significant achievement in lifting hundreds of millions of its citizens out of poverty, Modi stated, “We have demonstrated that sustainable development can be successful. And we are ready to share this experience of our success with the entire global south.”
Modi stressed that the success of humanity lies in collective strength rather than conflict. He then called for essential reforms in global institutions to ensure their relevance in contemporary times. “Reform is the key to relevance,” he stressed. The recent inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 at the New Delhi Summit was cited as a pivotal step in this direction.
Addressing the persistent threat of terrorism and the emerging conflicts in cyber, maritime, and space domains, Modi said, “Global action must match global ambition.” He called for a unified and ambitious global response to these challenges.
Modi also highlighted the need for balanced regulation to ensure the safe and responsible use of technology. He advocated for global digital governance that upholds national sovereignty and integrity. “Digital public infrastructure should be a bridge, not a barrier.” Modi then expressed India’s readiness to share its digital public infrastructure with the world for the greater good.
Modi then concluded his speech by reiterating India’s commitment to the principle of “One Earth, One Family, One Future,” Modi reflected this ethos in initiatives such as “One Earth, One Health” and “One Sun, One World, One Grid.” He assured that India would continue to work in thought, words, and deeds to protect the rights of all humanity and promote global prosperity.
It may be mentioned that India’s “One Earth, One Health” initiative promotes a holistic approach to global health by recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health. It emphasizes global collaboration, digital health infrastructure, preventive healthcare, and health equity.
During the UN summit, Modi also met the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, and discussed India’s cooperation in ending the Ukraine-Russia and Israel-Palestine conflicts as India Sentinels reported.
Prime Minister Modi’s full speech
