Restoring a climate of peace and stability an urgent global need: Modi

Asserting that restoring a climate of peace and stability is an urgent global need, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the world must unite in confronting global challenges.

Addressing the Plenary Session of the 6th BRICS Summit, Modi said: "BRICS must provide a united and clear voice in shaping a peaceful, balanced and stable world. BRICS must also play a proactive role in shaping the global discourse on growth and development. This includes shaping the post-2015 development agenda to keep the central focus on tackling poverty."

"We must seek urgent reforms of global institutions of governance like the UN Security Council and international financial institutions. We must help shape the WTO regime. An open trading regime is critical for strong, balanced and sustainable global economic growth," he added.

The Prime Minister further said that the BRICS has gained enough horizontal influence to compel the world to take notice.

"Our own greater good, however, lies more in deepening our bonds vertically. This is why I have spoken on decentralizing this powerful forum in our earlier deliberations. We must proactively move beyond being Summit-centric," he added.

Asserting that BRICS should in fact, be driven by 'people-to-people' contact," Modi said: "Our youth in particular must take a lead in this. BRICS should explore developing innovative mechanisms of youth engagement. A possible initiative could focus on nurturing Innovation, by establishing a BRICS Young Scientists' Forum."

"Another possibility, could be the setting up of BRICS language schools; offering language training in each of our languages. We could, also consider establishing massive open online courses, for making quality education, accessible to all," he said.

"We could also explore setting up a BRICS University. This would connect campuses in each of our countries; virtually, as well as through intensive student, faculty and research collaboration," he added.

Observing that he comes from a land where the idea of the whole world being one family is rooted in its ethos 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam', Modi said, "We have an opportunity to define the future - of not just our countries, but the world at large."

"I believe we have now reached a level where we should be even more ambitious. We should focus on more such tangible mechanisms and outcomes. Make BRICS a platform of impact. Our steps must reinforce the hopes, aspirations and confidence, of the developing world," he added.