PM calls for early reform and expansion of UN Security Council

United Nations, Sep 24 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh on Saturday made a powerful call for early
reform and expansion of the UN Security Council "to reflect
contemporary reality" and asked nations not to allow the
global economic slowdown to trigger protectionism through
various barriers.
Participating in the High Level Segment of the world body
after a gap of three years, Singh made an address to the
General Assembly in which he also made it clear that the fight
against terrorism cannot be selective and has to be fought on
all fronts.
After meetings of the G-4 countries including India,
Brazil, German and Japan pushing for reform of the UNSC in
which India wants to be a permanent member, the Prime Minister
said the world needed a stronger and more effective UN.
"We need a United Nations that is sensitive to the
aspirations of everyone - rich or poor, big or small. For this
the United Nations and its principal organs, the General
Assembly and the Security Council, must be revitalised and
reformed."
"The reform and expansion of the Security Council are
essential if it is to reflect contemporary reality. Such an
outcome will enhance the Council's credibility and
effectiveness in dealing with global issues. Early reform of
the Security Council must be pursued with renewed vigour and
urgently enacted," Singh said in his 15-minute address.
Singh said terrorism continued to rear its ugly head and
take a grievous toll of innocent lives.
"New threats to international security have emerged," he
said and added "we will succeed if we adopt a cooperative
rather than a confrontationist approach.
"We will succeed if we embrace once again the principles
on which the UN was founded - internationalism and
multilateralism."
In the midst of controversies raging over the issue of
"interventions" in the trouble spots of the Middle East, Singh
said the observance of the rule of law is as important in
international affairs as it is within countries.
"Societies cannot be reordered from outside through
military force. People in all countries have the right to
choose their own destiny and decide their own future," the
Prime Minister said.
The international community, he said, has a role to play
in assisting in the processes of transition and institution
building but the idea that prescriptions have to be imposed
from outside is fraught with danger.
"Actions taken under the authority of the United Nations
must respect the unity, territorial integrity, sovereignty and
independence of individual states," he said.
As a seasoned economist whose views on international
economy is much sought after in the global power corridors,
Singh touched on the current situation saying the "world
economy is in trouble".
"The shoots of recovery which were visible after the
economic and financial crisis of 2008 have yet to blossom. In
many respects the crisis has deepened even further."
Singh said the traditional engines of the global economy
such as the US, Europe and Japan, which are also the sources
of global economic and financial stability, are faced with
continued economic slowdown. Recessionary trends in these
countries were affecting confidence in world financial and
capital markets.
These developments, he said, are bound to have a negative
impact on developing countries which also have to bear the
additional burden of inflationary pressures.
"Declining global demand and availability of capital,
increasing barriers to free trade and mounting debt pose a
threat to the international monetary and financial system.
Questions are being asked about the efficacy of the Bretton
Woods institutions," he said.
The Prime Minister said countries should not allow the
global economic slowdown to become a trigger for building
walls around themselves through protectionism or erecting
barriers to movement of people, services and capital.
"Effective ways and means must be deployed to promote
coordination of macro economic policies of major economies.
The reform of governance systems of international financial
institutions ought to be pursued with speed and efficiency,"
he said.
Singh said the development agenda must be brought firmly
back to the centrestage of the United Nations' priorities.
"We need a much more determined effort to ensure
balanced, inclusive and sustainable development for the
benefit of vast sections of humanity. Each of us can
contribute to this task but we can achieve far more if we act
in partnership," he said.
"It is vitally important that through our actions and
deeds we renew people's faith in the charter and objectives of
the United Nations. I am confident we can do this through
statesmanship, foresight and collective efforts, India stands
ready to play its part in this noble endeavour," Singh said.
"We have to pay particular attention to Africa. Africa's
richest resources are not its minerals but its people. We have
to empower them and open the doors for them to human advances
in technology, education and skill development," he said.
Singh said the United Nations should lead efforts in the
area of food security. "We need more cooperation in
agricultural technologies, water conservation, land usage and
productivity and stability in commodity prices," he said.
Emphasising on the need for a peaceful external
environment to grow, he said the fight against terrorism must
be unrelenting. There cannot be selective approaches in
dealing with terrorist groups or the infrastructure of
terrorism. Terrorism has to be fought across all fronts.
In South Asia, he said, there are encouraging signs of
cooperation in the area of security as exemplified in India's
cooperation with Bangladesh. Such cooperation is adding to
the security of both our countries.
Singh said in the last few decades India has lifted tens
of millions of its people out of abject poverty. "We are in a
position to feed our population better, to educate them better
and to widen their economic choices. But we still have a very
long way to go," he said.
The Prime Minister said India would wish to quicken the
pace of its transformation in partnership with the
international community.