India has urged the international community to take “global action” in response to the ambitious commitments made in the Pact for the Future, a declaration made by world leaders at a recent summit focused on combating terrorism.
Permanent Representative to the UN, P Harish, expressed India’s appreciation for the Pact’s strong condemnation of terrorism during a General Assembly session on Monday. “We would like to stress that ‘Global Action’ must now match ‘Global Ambition,'” he stated, emphasizing the urgent need for coordinated efforts against a rising tide of global security threats.
Harish highlighted that terrorism remains a significant danger to global peace, while new conflict arenas, including cyber, maritime, and space domains, continue to emerge. The Pact, adopted at last month’s Summit of the Future, delivers a clear stance on terrorism, declaring, “All terrorist acts are criminal and unjustifiable regardless of their motivation or how their perpetrators may seek to justify them.”
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This declaration counters attempts by countries like Pakistan to blur the lines between terrorists and “freedom fighters,” especially regarding the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) proposed by India nearly three decades ago.
Addressing the assembly, Harish outlined India’s efforts to represent the Global South and contribute to the Pact’s development, ensuring it remained “human-centric.” He aligned the Pact with India’s vision for becoming a developed nation by 2047, known as ‘Vikst Bharat@2047,’ while prioritizing sustainable development and addressing issues such as food security, health security, and climate finance.
He cautioned that the developed nations’ reluctance to take responsibility for climate action undermines the growth potential of developing countries. Recalling Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at the summit, Harish stressed that reform is essential for the UN’s continued relevance.
However, he criticized the Pact for its lack of ambition regarding reforms of the UN Security Council, stating that it did not adequately reflect the majority of UN member states advocating for the expansion of both permanent and non-permanent members.
He noted that the inputs from Inter-Governmental Negotiations on Council reform fell short of addressing critical issues and failed to push for text-based negotiations with a fixed timeline, which many nations desire.
Despite widespread support for Council reform negotiations to establish a clear agenda, a coalition led by Italy, including Pakistan, has hindered progress on this front.
Harish concluded by underscoring the need for greater involvement of developing nations in international financial governance and addressing their debt challenges.
He noted that the G20 declaration, adopted under India’s presidency last year, aligns with the Pact on key principles aimed at creating a more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient international financial system while advocating for democratic reforms in global financial institutions.
