India on Monday told the United Nations General Assembly session that the just concluded world summit has fallen short of the expectations of developing countries, particularly in the area of development.
Though the main purpose of the summit was to review the implementation of the Millennium Declaration, unfortunately, most developing countries will not be able to achieve the Millennium Development Goals given the current levels of their growth and levels of international support, External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh said.
"Most of us had much higher expectations from the summit, particularly in agreeing on definite time-tables for the achievement of the 0.7 per cent target for Official Development Assistance," Singh said.
"This is equally true of innovative sources of financing because developing countries cannot break out of the circle of poverty without enhanced resource flows and the application of science and technology to meet their development challenges," he said.
Singh called for strengthening efforts at both national and international levels for reaching closer on development targets.
Noting that the MDGs embody a quantifiable vision of human dignity and solidarity as well economic and social rights, Singh said that important objectives such as employment, critical for developing countries, are not included.
"India's use of innovative financial instruments for rural infrastructure investment as well as our Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, I believe, may be of interest to other developing countries," Singh said.
Singh also called upon the international community to address intellectual property regimes that seek to deny technologies rather than facilitating their trainer to the developing countries, including in the areas of environment and public health.
"Although both the Millennium Declaration and the Outcome Document have spoken of exploiting the beneficial aspects of globalisation, we are yet to agree on and implement the modalities for such a process," Singh said.
Singh, who also made a strong case for making the UN Security Council democratic through its expansion in the membership of both permanent and non-permanent categories, also faulted the summit for not giving a clear a comprehensive direction to the WTO Doha Round of trade negotiations.
Noting that formulae are not an end in themselves, he said that the end has to be a decrease in poverty and an increase in employment.
"Therefore, equal treatment cannot be forced on unequal partners. Special and Differential Treatment remains an integral component in all trade negotiations, including agriculture and non-agricultural market access," he said.
India, as member of the G-20, he said, would continue to promote in the WTO and elsewhere the interests of the developing countries, including the Small Island Developing States, the least developed, the landlocked and the highly indebted poor countries.
PTI adds:
Cautioning the international community against a selective approach to deal with terrorism and non-proliferation, India on Tuesday focussed on the centrality of the United Nations in fighting the menace asking the General Assembly to adopt a strong counter-terrorism agenda.
Suggesting that the UN provide "cohesion" to global efforts to deal with terrorism, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said, "whether it is terrorism or non-proliferation, unless there is a non-selective, uniform and sustained approach, the objective of the international community cannot be achieved."
PM rejects any justification for terrorism
Singh asserted there is no better institution than the UN to fight the scourge of which India has been victim for past two decades.
"As an initiator of the draft Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, India welcomes and is fully committed to the decision taken by the heads of state and government to conclude their negotiations on the convention during the 60th session of the General Assembly," he said at the 60th session of UNGA.
Making a strong case for expansion of the 15-member Security Council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, Singh said if the institutional reform has been faltering and many are doubtful of securing a just solution, it is because the council does not reflect the world of today.
Asia, Africa do not have commensurate voice in UN: PM
"One cannot argue in favour of democracy in the rest of the world and leave the UN Security Council undemocratic," Singh said.
"The Security Council is not about any country's prestige or power but about transforming the balance power in the world. Our experience in India from the freedom movement to present times shows that diversity is a source of strength and effectiveness. The same would be true of a reformed council," the external affairs minister said.
Pointing out that a change in the composition of the council is an imperative, Singh said the G-4 framework resolution has made UN reforms a central issue, which can no longer be ignored.
UN General Assembly approves scaled-down reforms
"There is a democracy deficit in the governance of the United Nations and there is not much point in speaking of inclusiveness, transparency and democracy and leaving the security Council as a glaring exception to these principles," he told the delegates.
Getting UNSC seat no cakewalk: Natwar
Doing some plain speaking on the UN's Outcome Document, he said a 'notable omission' was the theme of disarmament and added, "Our struggle for multilaterally negotiated, universal and verifiable nuclear disarmament in a time-bound manner, has to continue with vigour."
UN reform document: Annan unhappy with member states
The addition of permanent members, Singh asserted, is essential for a world order in which decisions are optimal and therefore acceptable and use of force minimal.
"Effectiveness is a function of right decisions with broad support. Negotiations on the Outcome Document (which the summit adopted) and many subsequent statements have demonstrated that if more could not be achieved on the developmental aspects of trade in the document, it is because the Security Council has not been representative," Natwar said.
Stand or fall together, Annan tells the world
The minister told those who opposed the expansion of the Security Council in permanent category that 'they were mistaken as in the absence of the council reforms, fears of intervention have prevented agreement on a Human Right Council and other issues'.
"Therefore UN Council reforms remain more than necessary," he said, adding that they should be made the main priority and completed by the end of the year as suggested by Secretary General Kofi Annan.
Singh made the remarks in the context of the proposal of India, Japan, Germany and Brazil, together known as G-4, for addition of 6 new permanent members and 4 non-permanent members to take the total strength of Council to 25.
But despite their vigorous campaign, they were not successful in mustering two-thirds majority in the 191-member assembly after African Union, which was expected to support the resolution, walked out at the last moment. The 4 have now decided to renew their efforts and are expected to frame a new resolution. Their ealier resolution lapsed at the end of 59th session.
Also Read: Complete coverage of PM's UN visit
