International order needs to be fair to be effective: EAM Jaishankar

Says longest-standing illegal occupation post-World War II is in Kashmir

Hitting out at the international order created by the West after World War II, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said the current scenario requires it to be fair before it can be effective. He said the virtues of the international order are exaggerated. 

 

Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue multilateral conference here, the minister said the world needs a strong United Nations to uphold rule-based orders, but for that a fairer UN is needed. "It's important to audit the workings of the world over the last eight decades and be honest about it. We should understand today that the balances and shareholding in the world have changed. We need a different conversation and, frankly, a new world order," he said.

 

Jaishankar added the West has selectively approached similar issues in different nations, often applying global rules on issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity while keeping in mind its own interest. The 'longest-standing' illegal occupation of a territory globally after World War II has been experienced by India – in Kashmir, he stressed.

 

The minister said the Western powers have changed positions on terror actors, such as the Taliban, multiple times based on their interests. Meanwhile, multiple coups in Myanmar have been condemned while the same has been overlooked in one of India's western neighbours, he said, hinting at Pakistan. 

 

He also touched upon cross-border political interference. "When the West goes out into other nations, it is considered to be in pursuit of democratic freedoms. But when other nations do the same, it is looked at as having malign intentions," he said. However, Jaishankar stressed the overarching need for an international order given that even smaller countries can be risky, exploiting global disorder.