PM Modi's speech at UN most awaited among world leaders: What to expect

New Delhi, Sep 21: Prime Minister Modi's speech at the General Assembly "is one of the most awaited among the world leaders.

"PM Modi's speech is one of the most awaited among the world leaders. He has always addressed some of the core issues confronting the world, and those of importance and concern to us in India, including some of our achievements on the domestic front," India's Permanent Representative to United Nations TS Tirumurti told ANI.

PM Modi is scheduled to address the General Debate of the high-level segment of the 76th session of UNGA on September 25th morning.

India will use its voice at the high-level United Nations General Assembly to forcefully take up global issues such as terrorism, climate change, equitable and affordable access to vaccines, Indo-Pacific and UN reforms.

The COVID-19 pandemic and developments in Afghanistan are expected to dominate the 76th UNGA session, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti told PTI in an exclusive interview.

Apart from the COVID-19 pandemic and its humanitarian impact, other issues likely to dominate the high-level segment of the session include the global economic slowdown, terrorism and related issues, climate change, ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, recent developments in Afghanistan and UN Security Council reforms.

There is an expectation that India, as the leading voice of the developing world as well as the current member of the UN Security Council, will use its voice to take up global issues forcefully.

"They include climate change, Sustainable Development Goals, equitable and affordable access to vaccines, poverty eradication and economic recovery, women's empowerment and participation in governance structures, terrorism, peacekeeping/peacebuilding, Indo-Pacific and UN reforms. We will certainly do so, as we have indeed done so before as well," Tirumurti said.

He said India has the ability to bring the discussions in the General Assembly to a more cooperative and constructive framework so that "we can, together with partners, oppose any divisive agenda which may be pushed or stop existing agenda being weakened".

"This is a role India can play so that we continue to keep the focus on the major issues confronting the world and not let the discourse be hijacked to suit narrow interests," he said.

The theme for this year's General Debate is 'Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people and revitalise the United Nations''.