At the NDTV World Summit, the Prime Minister calls for stronger global institutions and a louder voice for the Global South
New Delhi, October 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday that the world is passing through a period “between orders”, in which the limitations of the United Nations and other global institutions have become plain to see.
Speaking at the NDTV World Summit, Modi said the Second World War had taught the world that global systems cannot run on power and self-interest alone. That lesson, he said, gave rise to the UN, built on dialogue, cooperation and the peaceful resolution of disputes, and for decades it helped promote peace. But new economies, powers and aspirations have since emerged, and today’s challenges are far more complex. New voices are demanding their place, he said, and new problems need new solutions.
The Prime Minister called for stronger global institutions, a greater say for the Global South, and international cooperation that holds firm in times of crisis. He warned that trade, technology and sea routes were being “weaponised”, a remark widely seen as a reference to ongoing conflicts, including the one in West Asia. Citing Chanakya, he cautioned that without the rule of law, the strong swallow the weak.
Modi’s remarks echo External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who said earlier this month at the Kautilya Economic Conclave that the UN was “gridlocked”. Jaishankar said the body had become largely irrelevant to decisions on crises such as Ukraine, the Gulf and Covid, and that the Security Council no longer represented global interests.
About The Author
