United Nations: Strongly pitching for India's permanent membership of the UN Security Council, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the reforms of the 15-member powerful body should be carried out by 2015 to make it more ‘democratic and participative'.
"We must reform the United Nations, including the Security Council, and make it more democratic and participative," Modi said in his maiden address to the annual session of the 193 countries strong UN General Assembly.
"Institutions that reflect the imperatives of 20th century won't be effective in the 21st. It would face the risk of irrelevance; and we will face the risk of continuing turbulence with no one capable of addressing it," he said.
As the United Nations observes its 70th anniversary next year, of which India was a founding member, it is appropriate that the much needed reforms of the UN Security Council is carried out by 2015, Modi said.
He asserted that no one country or group of countries can determine the course of this world while stressing that there has to be a genuine international partnership.
This is not just a moral position, but a practical reality, he added.
India has been eyeing the permanent membership to the UN Security Council. Many countries across the world have already publicly backed India's push for UNSC membership.
Modi said the UN should energise the noble task of UN Peacekeeping.
"We should involve troop contributing countries in the process of decision making," he said.
India has been sending its troops for peacekeeping missions across the world under the UN.
"We need a genuine dialogue and engagement between countries. I say this from the conviction of the philosophical tradition that I come from. Our efforts must begin here – in the United Nations," he said.
In particular the UN Security Council, he added.
