India, 2010

Allow me to begin by

congratulating you, Sir, on your election as President

of the General Assembly and by assuring you of the

full cooperation of my delegation. In the interest of

saving the Assembly’s valuable time, I will read out

only part of my address, the full text of which has been

circulated.

The United Nations was created, 65 years ago, to

save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,

to affirm faith in fundamental rights, to establish

conditions under which respect for international law

can be maintained and to promote social progress and

better standards of life in larger freedom. Six and a half

decades later, globalization has made the world a much

smaller place. It has also created conditions whereby

the problems and challenges of one country or region

can very quickly become those of the larger community

of nations.

Terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of

mass destruction, maritime piracy, pandemics and

epidemics, organized crime and narcotics smuggling

recognize no borders or boundaries. Similarly, the

fallout of intra-State conflicts, failed States, climate

change, natural disasters, food shortages and financial

and economic crises transcend countries and regions.

Under those circumstances the international

community looks to the United Nations to overcome

the common challenges of humankind through the

harmonized actions of nations, as stated in the Charter.

The United Nations is the only organization that

can be at the centre of an international governance

system. However, it needs urgent reform to reflect

contemporary realities and to effectively meet

emerging global challenges. The first step has to be the

reform of the Security Council. The overwhelming

majority of the membership has been clear in seeking

an expansion in both the permanent and non-permanent

categories of membership. It is imperative that we

bring the negotiations to an early and logical

conclusion.

We must also truly revitalize the General

Assembly. It must reclaim its position on vital matters

such as the appointment of the Secretary-General and

the relationship between the United Nations and the

Bretton Woods institutions. Along with the Economic

and Social Council, the General Assembly should also

set the paradigms of multilateral engagement for the

global economy and for development and

developmental cooperation.

It is matter of much satisfaction that this year we

have significantly advanced the United Nations reform

agenda in the areas of gender equality and women’s

empowerment. I wish to reiterate our strong

commitment to UN Women and to its strengthening.

We also need to ensure that the review of the

Human Rights Council this year adds to the Council’s

role as an effective, credible and premier United

Nations mechanism dealing with human rights.

My Government accords the highest priority to

the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

Our development challenges were exacerbated by the

financial and economic crisis that started in 2008.

Acting in concert, the Group of 20 (G-20), which

includes the largest developed and developing

countries, reacted promptly and purposefully to stem

the global slowdown and send a strong message of

confidence and stability. India believes that the

G-20 — the premier forum for international economic

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cooperation — can help catalyse strong, balanced and

sustainable growth for the benefit of everyone.

As a country vulnerable to, and already suffering

from, the impacts of climate change, India has an

important stake in the success of ongoing international

negotiations in that regard. There is no substitute to the

United Nations-led process, with its inherent

inclusiveness and transparency, to lead us to an

ambitious and equitable outcome that respects the

provisions and principles of the United Nations

Framework Convention on Climate Change, in

particular the principle of common but differentiated

responsibilities and respective capabilities. It is

important that there be acceptance of equal sharing of

the resource of the atmosphere for all human beings.

India has an abiding commitment to achieve

universal and non-discriminatory nuclear disarmament

within a specified time frame — a vision that was most

eloquently articulated in the Assembly by Prime

Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1988. More than two decades

later, that goal still remains distant. Meanwhile, newer

threats have emerged, including the danger of terrorists

gaining access to weapons of mass destruction.

India introduced a working paper on nuclear

disarmament in 2006, which contained specific

proposals that reflect the spirit and substance of the

Rajiv Gandhi action plan. We call for an intensification

of discussion and dialogue among Member States and

the larger non-governmental community, so as to

strengthen an international consensus that can be

translated into concrete action to achieve nuclear

disarmament.

India remains committed to the negotiations in

the Conference on Disarmament on a multilateral,

non-discriminatory and internationally verifiable fissile

material cut-off treaty that meets India’s national

security interests. We hope that the Conference will be

able to commence negotiations at an early date. We

remain committed to a unilateral and voluntary

moratorium on nuclear-explosives testing.

Terrorism has emerged as one of the most serious

threats to international peace and security. To defeat it,

it is imperative for the global community to build on

international cooperation and take concerted action

against terrorists and their sponsors. There can be no

justification for terrorism, just as there can be no good

or bad terrorists. We urge Member States to display the

necessary political will to finalize and adopt the

comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

Peace and stability in South Asia is one of our

highest priorities. We are committed to good-

neighbourly relations with all our neighbours,

including Pakistan. In that spirit of solidarity with the

people of Pakistan in their hour of need we pledged

$25 million in aid, which is being channelled through

the United Nations for flood relief efforts in that

country. As a neighbour, we wish to provide succour

and relief in a timely manner to the victims of that

natural disaster. We are saddened by the loss of life and

property that Pakistan has suffered as a result of the

unprecedented floods.

It is well known that many countries have deep-

rooted concerns about the growth and consolidation of

militancy and terrorism in Pakistan. We share those

concerns, particularly because Jammu and Kashmir,

which is an integral part of India, has been the target of

such Pakistan-sponsored militancy and terrorism for

many years now. Pakistan must fulfil its solemn

commitment not to allow territory under its control to

be used for terrorism directed against India. Credible

and firm action by Pakistan against terrorist groups

operating from its soil is in the interest of the region, as

it is in Pakistan’s own interest.

Pakistan cannot impart lessons to us on

democracy and human rights. If, however, Pakistan

were to live up to its commitment not to allow the use

of territory under its control by terrorists acting against

India, that would significantly help reduce the trust

deficit that impedes the development of better bilateral

relations between our two countries. We are

neighbours, and as neighbours we have an obligation to

work together.

Afghanistan recently successfully concluded

parliamentary elections. We believe the international

community needs to be steadfast in its engagement

with Afghanistan to ensure the success of its

reconstruction efforts and its emergence as a

democratic, pluralistic and prosperous society. The

continuing existence of safe havens and sanctuaries for

terrorists beyond Afghanistan’s borders is the major

impediment to the restoration of peace and security in

Afghanistan. That should be a primary focus of the

international community.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime

Minister, said in 1948:

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“The fundamental principles on which the United

Nations is based are right principles. We believe

in those fundamental principles and want to help

the Organization in following these principles.”

The Government and the more than 1 billion people of

India have stood by that commitment. I would like to

solemnly reaffirm our faith in the principles that

underlie the United Nations, and in the United Nations

system itself.