Mr President,
In the life of any human being, the 70th year is a milestone, where one can look back to reflect as to what one has achieved and what one has lost. Similarly, for people associated with an institution, the 70th year gives an opportunity to analyse whether the institution has been able to fulfil the purpose for which it was formed, and whether it has been able to achieve the goals for which it was established. Today, all of us need to ask ourselves whether we have been able to fulfil the purpose and achieve the goals for which the United Nations (UN) was established 70 years ago.
When I ask this question to myself, I get an answer in the affirmative for some questions and in the negative for some. For example, the United Nations has been successful in preventing a third World War, in assisting de-colonisation and dismantling apartheid, in combating global epidemics and reducing global hunger, and in promoting democracy and human rights.
Yet, when we ask ourselves whether we have been able to prevent conflicts taking place in several parts of the world, the answer is no. If we ask whether we were able to find a permanent solution to these conflicts, the answer is no. If we ask whether we were able to show the path of peace to a world, which is going on the way of violence, the answer is no. On these parameters, the United Nations appears as an ineffective institution in the area of international peace and security...
International peace and security
Today, the world is ravaged by war in three continents, with the Security Council being unable or unwilling to staunch (stop) the flow of blood. Traditional solutions that emphasise force have only proven to exacerbate problems. We must ask ourselves if we have the political will to craft alternatives to conflict and to pursue them with commitment and single-minded dedication.
Nowhere is such a goal more important than in the peace-keeping process. Under the blue flag, several men and women are constantly working to prevent conflict, protect civilians, and sustain peace processes. With 1,80,000 peacekeepers deployed so far, India has been the largest provider of international security by the UN. Even today, about 8,000 Indian military and police personnel are participating in 10 missions, operating in highly challenging environments. India remains committed to continue supporting the UN peace-keeping operations and even enhance our contributions, as announced by our Prime Minister at the Leaders' Summit on Peacekeeping. Our new contributions will cover all aspects of peace-keeping-personnel, enablers, and training.
At the same time, it is necessary that there be no dilution of the cardinal principles of peace-keeping. It is a matter of concern that there is no role of troop-contributing countries in the formulation of mandates, which are often amended without consultations. This is a clear violation of Article 44 of the UN Charter. It has also been our view that peace-keeping operations cannot substitute for political solutions. This has been underscored by the Horta Panel as well.
As we mark the 70th anniversary of the UN, I take the opportunity to pay tribute to more than 3,300 peacekeepers, including 161 from India, who have made the ultimate sacrifice. We stand ready to contribute to the Peacekeepers Memorial Wall, which has been approved by the 69th General Assembly.
The safety of our peace-keepers, the security of our nations, indeed the future of the international community itself, is now dependent on how we respond to the greatest threat that we face today: Terrorism. A threat that India has lived with for more than a quarter of a century was tragically brought home to this very city (New York) in the autumn of 2001. Since then, the proliferation of terrorist acts, the rise of extremist ideologies, and the impunity of states that back it have not been adequately countered...
...Equally importantly, an international legal regime, under the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) can no longer be held up. 19 years ago, in 1996, India had made this proposal at the United Nations, but we have been unable to adopt it and entangled ourselves in the issue of definition. We have to understand that there can be no distinction between good and bad terrorists ... Therefore, my appeal to all of you is that we should come together in this 70th anniversary year of the United Nations and pledge to unanimously adopt the CCIT.
While on the subject of terrorism, I take the opportunity to share the challenges that we face in our ties with Pakistan. None of us can accept that terrorism is a legitimate instrument of statecraft. The world shared our outrage at the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, in which citizens of many nations were helplessly butchered. That the mastermind behind the attack is walking free, is an affront to the entire international community. Not only have past assurances in this regard not been honoured, but new cross-border terrorist attacks have taken place recently, in which two terrorists from across the border have also been captured alive. We all know that these attacks are meant to destabilise India and legitimise Pakistan's illegal occupation of parts of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and its claim on the rest of it.
Let me use this occasion to spell out our approach clearly. India remains open to dialogue. But talks and terror cannot go together. Yesterday (September 30, Wednesday) the prime minister of Pakistan proposed what he termed as a four-point new peace initiative. I would like to respond. We do not need four points, we need just one - give up terrorism and let us sit down and talk. This was precisely what was discussed and decided by the two prime ministers at Ufa (Russia) this July. Let us hold talks at the level of NSAs (national security advisors) on all issues connected to terrorism, and an early meeting of our directors-general of military operations to address the situation on the border. If the response is serious and credible, India is prepared to address all outstanding issues through a bilateral dialogue.
Social and economic development
Even as we counter the menace of terrorism, we must acknowledge that real social and economic progress remains a critical goal...
Edited excerpts from a speech by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, at the United Nations General Assembly, on October 1 (Thursday), in New York
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