Success of humanity lies not on battlefield: Modi at UN

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that the "success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not on the battlefield" as he addressed the United Nation's Summit of the Future held against the backdrop of raging global conflicts.

Addressing world leaders from the iconic podium of the UN General Assembly hall, Modi, beginning his speech with a "Namaskar", said that he brings the voice of 1.4 billion Indians or one-sixth of humanity to the UN.

A day after world leaders adopted by consensus the Pact of the Future along with the annexes the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations on the opening day of the Summit of the Future, Modi told the UN that "when we are discussing Global Future, we must accord the highest priority to a human-centric approach."

In his 5-minute address, Modi underscored that the "success of humanity lies in our collective strength, not on the battlefield.”

The Summit of the Future followed by the annual General Assembly high-level week comes in the midst of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the Ukraine war as well as challenges of climate change, inequality and deep geopolitical divides.

The Pact's five broad focus areas include sustainable development; international peace and security; science and technology; youth and future generations and transforming global governance. It lays the groundwork for actions and commitment by member states towards a safer, more peaceful, sustainable and inclusive world for tomorrow's generations.

With the UN turning 80 next year, the Pact underscores the need for reform of global institutions, a path forward for action on Sustainable Development Goals, climate action and the use of artificial intelligence among other areas. It, however, does not contain timelines for actions required to achieve these goals.

Underlining that reform is the key to relevance, Modi emphasised that for global peace and development, reforms in global institutions are essential.

He noted that the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 under India's presidency of the grouping at the New Delhi Summit last year “was an important step in this direction.”

India has been at the forefront of years-long efforts to reform the 15-nation Security Council, saying the powerful UN body does not reflect current geopolitics realities and underscoring that it rightly deserves a permanent seat at the horse-shoe table. India last sat at the UN high table as a non-permanent member in 2021-22.

Modi also gave a call for global action to match global ambition as the world continues to grapple with the threat of terrorism as well as newer challenges.

"While on the one hand, terrorism continues to be a serious threat to global peace and security, on the other hand, areas such as cyber, maritime and space, are emerging as new theatres of conflict,” he said.

“On all these issues, I will stress, that, global action must match global ambition!” he said.

Highlighting that India has lifted 250 million people out of poverty in India and demonstrated that Sustainable Development can be successful, Modi voiced India's commitment to share its experiences with the Global South.

"When we are discussing the Global Future, we must accord the highest priority to a human-centric approach," he said, adding that while prioritising sustainable development, “we must also ensure human welfare, food and health security.

The Indian leader also emphasised the need for balanced regulation at a global level, for the safe and responsible use of technology.

"We need global digital governance, which ensures that national sovereignty and integrity are upheld,” he said, adding that "Digital Public Infrastructure should be a Bridge, not a Barrier!”

UN officials and world leaders have consistently lauded India's digitalisation drive which has helped alleviate poverty and bring millions of people into the formal economic system through the use of a handset and a digitalization model.

Modi said that India is ready to share its digital public infrastructure with the entire world "for Global Good.”

He added that for India, "One Earth, One Family, One Future” is a commitment. “This commitment is also reflected in our initiatives such as “One Earth, One Health”, and “One Sun, One World, One Grid”.

He assured the world community that India will continue to work in thought, words and deeds to protect the rights of all humanity and for global prosperity.

In his opening remarks to the summit, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said conflicts are raging and multiplying, from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan, with “no end in sight” and he called for the summit because “our world is heading off the rails – and we need tough decisions to get back on track.”

"Our collective security system is threatened by geopolitical divides, nuclear posturing, and the development of new weapons and theatres of war. Resources that could bring opportunities and hope are invested in death and destruction," he said.

He further stressed that he had called for this meeting of world leaders to consider deep reforms to make global institutions more legitimate, fair and effective, based on the values of the UN Charter.

"I called for this Summit because 21st century challenges require 21st century solutions: frameworks that are networked and inclusive; and that draw on the expertise of all of humanity," he said.

Noting that the United Nations had 51 Member States when it was established nearly 80 years ago, he said today it is made up of 193 nations.

“As a result, our peace and security tools and institutions, and our global financial architecture, reflect a bygone era,” Guterres said.

He warned that the 15-nation United Nations Security Council, which he described as “outdated” and whose authority is eroding, will eventually lose all credibility unless its composition and working methods are reformed.

He said the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations open pathways to new possibilities and opportunities.

“On peace and security, they promise a breakthrough on reforms to make the Security Council more reflective of today's world, addressing the historic under-representation of Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America,” Guterres added.

Over 130 Heads of State and Government are expected to attend the landmark event, held just ahead of the annual high-level debate in the UN General Assembly.