Modi pitches strong for UNSC reforms, outlines green goals

By NewsGram Staff Writer

New York: In an address on Friday at the UN Sustainable Development Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted for reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to maintain its relevance and credibility as an international body. He underpinned the need for proper representation in the core UN body so that countries can strive to reach their goals more effectively.

Speaking in Hindi, Modi, also outlined India's goals for fighting climate change and said he is hopeful that developed countries would make separate provisions for fighting climate change without slotting it under the head of development.

Making a strong pitch for reforms in the UNSC and it expanded membership, Modi said, "Change is necessary in the UNSC in order to maintain its relevance and credibility, so that with proper representation countries like India can strive better for its goals"

Modi spoke of the need for reducing dependence on energy so that the world can strive towards 'sustainable consumption'. He suggested a global education programme for preparing future generations so that they can protect the environment and make it sustainable.

"I hope that developed countries will fulfil their financial commitments towards development and climate change without in anyway putting the two under the same head," he said.

Modi outlined India's climate change goals saying he represents a culture that calls the Earth 'mother' and that India over the next seven years will create 175 GW of renewable energy capacity.

"I represent that culture that calls the earth Ma… the Vedas says that the Earth is the mother and we are its sons," he said in Hindi at the summit.

He said that India has outlined ambitious programmes to fight climate change. Besides creating 175 GW renewable energy capacity, the country would also stress on energy efficiency, tree plantation, coal tax, clean environment, cleaning up of rivers, waste to wealth movement and sustainable development.

He outlined the government's programmes towards financial inclusion, saying 180 million new bank accounts had been opened, which he termed as the biggest empowerment for the poor. He said the government was working towards a Pension Yojana to ensure pension reaches the poor.

Modi said earlier only the private sector or public sector were highlighted, but his government has focused on the 'personal sector', like individual enterprise through micro finance, innovation, start ups, creating opportunities and providing clean water, power, health, education, hygiene for all– everything that is needed to live a decent life.

He said the government has fixed a time limit for the programmes, and added that women empowerment is a major part of his government's policy through Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao (Save the girl child, educate the girl child), which the government has turned into a household mantra; another feature was to make agriculture more remunerative by connecting fields to markets.

Modi said his government was taking steps to mitigate the agrarian crisis, revive the manufacturing sector, improve the services sector, stress on investments in the infrastructure sector and focus on creating smart cities, which are sustainable and the centres of development.

He said India's path is linked to sustainable development as it is linked to India's tradition of calling the earth Ma.

He said in the UN international cooperation should be at the centre of sustainable development and to fight climate change.

"The principle of common but differentiated responsibilities is the bedrock of our enterprise for a sustainable world," he stressed.

He called for international partnership to fight climate change.

(With inputs from IANS)