ID :
207750
Sat, 09/17/2011 - 20:43
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/207750
The shortlink copeid
PM to attend UNGA next week
New Delhi, Sept 17 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh will attend the United Nations General Assembly session
next week in New York where India's priority will be on
reforms of the powerful Security Council to reflect the
current realities.
Leaving on September 21 for participating in the high-
level segment of the 66th session of the UNGA, India along
with other members of the G-4 (Brazil, Japan and Germany) will
work to push for reforms of the UNSC at the earliest for a
robust international security and peacekeeping operations.
The G4 members are keen on getting permanent membership
of the UNSC.
He will be accompanied by a delegation that will include
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, National Security
Adviser Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and
Principal Secretary to the PM T K A Nair.
Briefing reporters on the visit, Mathai said Singh would
be addressing the UNGA on September 24 and that India's
priority in the current session would be on working for
reforms of the UN Security Council that should be reflective
of current realities.
Singh would be attending the UNGA after a gap of two
years. He had last addressed the 2008 session.
He ruled out any meeting between the Prime Minister and
US President Barack Obama, who would leave New York before
Singh's arrival there on September 22, or with Pakistan Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who has reportedly cancelled his
visit because of flood situation his country.
The G4 would carry forward the discussions held at the
official level in Tokyo sometime ago on the issue of UNSC
reforms.
India feels that unless comprehensive reform of the UNSC
is undertaken the process of UN reforms would be "piecemeal
and incomplete".
Mathai said the Prime Minister will have bilateral
meetings with a number of Heads of Government who will be in
New York for the UNGA.
There will be a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia,
India, China and South Africa) leaders in which there will be
a discussion on economic issues.
"Beyond that I don't think there will be any occasion for
discussing a specific issue," Mathai said in reply to a
question whether the Prime Minister would discuss with Chinese
counterpart Wen Jiabao the issue of incursion in Ladakh or its
opposition to joint exploration of oil and gas in South China
by India and Vietnam.
Mathai said the UNGA session was taking place at a time
of continuing global economic and financial uncertainties with
food and fuel prices at their peak whose impact developing
countries were feeling.
As a key emerging major economy playing a constructive
role in contributing to global economic recovery, India will
reaffirm its commitment to working with the UN on furthering
global economic and fiscal stability and balanced growth.
India would continue to focus attention of the UN on
poverty eradication as the foremost developmental challenge
and the need to foster and sustain inclusive growth as a
primary requirement for poverty eradication.
"It is imperative that the international community joins
hands to ensure that every effort is made to attain the
Millennium Development Goals by 2015," Mathai said.
Mathai said India would call for greater mobilisation of
resources, including honouring of Overseas Development
Assistance (ODA) commitments, and policy action for attaining
the MDGs.
"We will also actively engage with UN Member States on
human rights issues and to strengthen the UN’s humanitarian
operations," he said.
Mathai said India remains a votary of a robust UN role in
maintenance of international peace and security, including
through its peacekeeping operations and political processes.
"India has remained steadfast in its commitment to
universal, non-discriminatory and total nuclear disarmament.
Consistent with our concerns on terrorism and clandestine
proliferation, we will emphasise the immediacy of effective
measures to deny terrorists, possible access to WMD material,"
he said.
Mathai said India will also be actively participating in
the UN high level event on Nuclear Safety and Security which
will be held on September 22.
He said the recent terrorist attack in New Delhi has once
again served as a reminder of the constant threat posed by
terrorism to the security of democratic societies and
wellbeing of its citizens.
Referring to India heading the Security Council’s
Committee on Counter-Terrorism, he said at a special meeting
on September 28 India will reiterate the need for strong
international cooperation and collective action against
terrorism.
"We have time and again insisted on full compliance by
all states of their obligations under various UN Resolutions
and mechanisms on counter-terrorism. We will also push for an
early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism (CCIT) that will provide a global
normative framework against terrorism," Mathai said.
Singh will attend the United Nations General Assembly session
next week in New York where India's priority will be on
reforms of the powerful Security Council to reflect the
current realities.
Leaving on September 21 for participating in the high-
level segment of the 66th session of the UNGA, India along
with other members of the G-4 (Brazil, Japan and Germany) will
work to push for reforms of the UNSC at the earliest for a
robust international security and peacekeeping operations.
The G4 members are keen on getting permanent membership
of the UNSC.
He will be accompanied by a delegation that will include
External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, National Security
Adviser Shivshankar Menon, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and
Principal Secretary to the PM T K A Nair.
Briefing reporters on the visit, Mathai said Singh would
be addressing the UNGA on September 24 and that India's
priority in the current session would be on working for
reforms of the UN Security Council that should be reflective
of current realities.
Singh would be attending the UNGA after a gap of two
years. He had last addressed the 2008 session.
He ruled out any meeting between the Prime Minister and
US President Barack Obama, who would leave New York before
Singh's arrival there on September 22, or with Pakistan Prime
Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, who has reportedly cancelled his
visit because of flood situation his country.
The G4 would carry forward the discussions held at the
official level in Tokyo sometime ago on the issue of UNSC
reforms.
India feels that unless comprehensive reform of the UNSC
is undertaken the process of UN reforms would be "piecemeal
and incomplete".
Mathai said the Prime Minister will have bilateral
meetings with a number of Heads of Government who will be in
New York for the UNGA.
There will be a meeting of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia,
India, China and South Africa) leaders in which there will be
a discussion on economic issues.
"Beyond that I don't think there will be any occasion for
discussing a specific issue," Mathai said in reply to a
question whether the Prime Minister would discuss with Chinese
counterpart Wen Jiabao the issue of incursion in Ladakh or its
opposition to joint exploration of oil and gas in South China
by India and Vietnam.
Mathai said the UNGA session was taking place at a time
of continuing global economic and financial uncertainties with
food and fuel prices at their peak whose impact developing
countries were feeling.
As a key emerging major economy playing a constructive
role in contributing to global economic recovery, India will
reaffirm its commitment to working with the UN on furthering
global economic and fiscal stability and balanced growth.
India would continue to focus attention of the UN on
poverty eradication as the foremost developmental challenge
and the need to foster and sustain inclusive growth as a
primary requirement for poverty eradication.
"It is imperative that the international community joins
hands to ensure that every effort is made to attain the
Millennium Development Goals by 2015," Mathai said.
Mathai said India would call for greater mobilisation of
resources, including honouring of Overseas Development
Assistance (ODA) commitments, and policy action for attaining
the MDGs.
"We will also actively engage with UN Member States on
human rights issues and to strengthen the UN’s humanitarian
operations," he said.
Mathai said India remains a votary of a robust UN role in
maintenance of international peace and security, including
through its peacekeeping operations and political processes.
"India has remained steadfast in its commitment to
universal, non-discriminatory and total nuclear disarmament.
Consistent with our concerns on terrorism and clandestine
proliferation, we will emphasise the immediacy of effective
measures to deny terrorists, possible access to WMD material,"
he said.
Mathai said India will also be actively participating in
the UN high level event on Nuclear Safety and Security which
will be held on September 22.
He said the recent terrorist attack in New Delhi has once
again served as a reminder of the constant threat posed by
terrorism to the security of democratic societies and
wellbeing of its citizens.
Referring to India heading the Security Council’s
Committee on Counter-Terrorism, he said at a special meeting
on September 28 India will reiterate the need for strong
international cooperation and collective action against
terrorism.
"We have time and again insisted on full compliance by
all states of their obligations under various UN Resolutions
and mechanisms on counter-terrorism. We will also push for an
early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on
International Terrorism (CCIT) that will provide a global
normative framework against terrorism," Mathai said.
