Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks at Summit of the Future at the UN, in New York, Monday, September 23, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
NEW DELHI: The success of humanity lies in the collective strength of all, not on the battlefield, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the United Nations, sending out a message of peace amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict and escalation of tension in West Asia over Israel’s offensive in Gaza following Hamas’s terror strike on the Jewish nation on October 7 last year.
Modi addressed the Summit of the Future at the UN on Monday. This was his first address to any UN event after commencing the third term in the office of the prime minister in New Delhi.
Touching on the topic of terror networks, Modi said that while terrorism continued to be a serious threat to global peace and security, cyber, maritime and space were emerging as new theatres of conflict.
“On all these issues, I will stress that global action must match global ambition," he said.
“Success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not on the battlefield. For global peace and development, reforms in global institutions are important. Reform is the key to relevance,” said the prime minister, who had visited both Moscow and Kyiv and met Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Modi had reiterated to Putin and Zelenskyy that India firmly believed that the conflicts could be resolved only through dialogue and diplomacy.
The prime minister also had a meeting with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in New York just hours before addressing the Summit of the Future at the UN.
He reiterated India's time-tested principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue and called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict, the release of Israeli hostages by Hamas, and a return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy.
He stressed that only a two-state solution would deliver enduring peace and stability in the region. Recalling that India was one of the first countries to recognize Palestine, he conveyed India’s continued support for Palestine’s membership of the UN.
Modi last month also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the phone and emphasised the need to de-escalate the situation. Prime Minister reiterated India’s call for an immediate release of all hostages and the need for continued humanitarian assistance for the affected. He called for an early and peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.
“Today, I am here to bring here the voice of the one-sixth of the humanity...We have elevated 250 million people out of poverty in India and we have shown that sustainable development can be successful. We are ready to share this experience of success with Global South,” the prime minister said.
He stressed balanced regulation for the safe and responsible use of technology. “We want such global digital governance in which sovereignty and integrity remain intact. Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) should be a bridge and not a barrier. for global good, India is ready to share its DPI. For India, One Earth One Family One Future is a commitment.”