UNITED NATIONS: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken up with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon the issue of lack of consultation with large troop contributing countries like India on peacekeeping operations.
Modi met Ban at the world body’s headquarters here yesterday before his address to world leaders at the UN Sustainable Development Summit.
The discussions between them focused on peacekeeping, UN Security Council reforms, sustainable development including climate change as well as regional issues, Spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs Vikas Swarup told reporters.
While assuring Ban that India would continue to be a strong supporter of UN peacekeeping, Modi said there has to be a change in the manner in which decisions were taken about troop contributions to peacekeeping operations.
Modi said while India has been the largest contributor to international peacekeeping operations, it along with other Troop Contributing Countries is not consulted adequately enough before peace keeping operations are authorized.
The Secretary-General commended India for its indispensable contribution to UN peacekeeping.
Their talks focused on the importance of implementing the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular reference to climate change. Modi told Ban that currently there is a huge trust deficit regarding developed countries which have not yet delivered on the commitments including on climate finance.
Modi said the focus should not be on emissions only but nations should also set positive goals and support increasing use of renewable energy, according to Swarup.
The Indian leader, who talked about climate justice, noted that the narrative of restrictions, control and pressure was not a positive way of approaching the subject.
“We do not have the right to deprive succeeding generations of their rights,” Swarup said, quoting the Prime Minister.
Modi said concessional financing from international institutions should be available for renewable energy and particularly for transfer of technology.
He also presented to the UN Chief a special publication on ‘India and the UN: 70 years’, which chronicles important moments in India’s engagement with the UN since 1945.
The book contains as a foreword the July 4 letter written by Modi to the UN Chief on the occasion of the world body’s 70 years of existence. It has been authored and compiled by Indian envoy to the UN Ambassador Asoke Mukerji.
According to a readout of the meeting provided by Ban’s spokesperson, the Secretary-General also emphasized the need for climate change finance as a key to building trust between developed and developing countries.
He underlined the tremendous importance of India’s role in renewable energy, and encouraged the Prime Minister to continue to show strong global leadership on this issue.
There was also a broad exchange of views on Nepal and Sri Lanka with the Secretary General saying that he counted on India’s strong leadership in the region.
Ban “underlined India’s influential role in supporting the democratic transitions in both Nepal and Sri Lanka,” the statement by his spokesperson said.–PTI
