Anjali Sharma
GG News Bureau
UNITED NATIONS, 21st Oct. UN chief António Guterres on Wednesday attended a tribute to the victims of the 2008 terrorist attacks that took place at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai, as he began his official visit to the country, said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York.
He also visited the Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai where he delivered a lecture, hailed the partnership between India and the UN in celebration of India’s 75th anniversary.
He said India’s upcoming presidency of the G20 will be an important opportunity to bring the values and vision of the developing world to the top table of the global economy, and highlight the Global South overall.
Guterres also counted on India’s support in mobilizing G20 countries around debt relief.
He noted that India is the biggest provider of military and police personnel to UN missions, including the first all-women UN police contingent to be posted to a UN peacekeeping mission.
Secretary General said that over 200,000 Indian men and women had served in 49 peacekeeping missions, since they began in 1948.
He pointed out that as the home of one-sixth of humanity and the world’s largest generation of young people, India can “make or break” the 2030 Agenda.
‘India’s recent development journey is characterized by high impact programmes delivered at scale. This includes the world’s largest food-based social protection scheme and the massive expansion of access to clean water and sanitation services.”
He encouraged India’s engagement in deep reform of the global financial architecture, which favors the richest countries at the expense of the rest.
Guterres urged India to become a global superpower in renewables technology, and a manufacturing hub to fuel this revolution around the world.
He added that India’s voice on the global stage can only gain in authority and credibility from a strong commitment to inclusivity and respect for human rights at home.
According to UN spokesman office, Mr. Guterres plan to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and he will also visit a model project site, which has been declared India’s first solar-powered village.
Guterres will travel to Viet Nam to participate in a ceremony to commemorate the country’s 45th anniversary as a UN Member State.
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