Picture : Twitter / ANI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India has extended medical and other assistance to more than 150 countries in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and the global crisis has severely tested the resilience of all nations. It was Prime Minister Modi’s first speech at the UN after India’s election to the Security Council as a non-permanent for 2021-22. The Prime Minister had earlier delivered the keynote address virtually at the 70th anniversary of ECOSOC in January 2016.
Addressing the High-Level Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) session, the Prime Minister said that India has responded with “speed and solidarity” be it earthquakes, cyclones or the Ebola crisis.
“Be it earthquakes, cyclones, Ebola crisis or any other natural or man-made crisis, India has responded with speed and solidarity. In our joint fight against COVID-19, we have extended medical and other assistance to over 150 countries,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that India tried to make the fight against the pandemic a people’s movement with the joint efforts of the government and civil society.
“COVID-19 pandemic has severely tested the resilience of all nations. In India, we have tried to make the fight against the pandemic a people’s movement by combining the efforts of government and civil society,” he said.
In his address, the Prime Minister stressed that India has actively supported the UN’s development work and ECOSOC. He said the first president of ECOSOC was an Indian. “From the very beginning, India has actively supported the UN’s development work and the ECOSOC. India also contributed to shaping the ECOSOC agenda,” he said
The ECOSOC was established as one of the six principal organs of the UN and is mandated to offer direction to, and undertake the coordination of the economic, social, and cultural activities of the United Nations with responsibility for advancing international economic and social cooperation and development. The first meeting of the ECOSOC was convened on January 23, 1946, in London. The inaugural presidency of ECOSOC in 1946 was held by Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar.
Looking at the future Modi underlined the agenda, Our ‘Housing for All’ programme will ensure that every Indian will have a safe and secure roof over their head by 2022, when India completes 75 years as an independent nation. Our motto is ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas, Sabka Vishwas’ – meaning ‘Together, for everyone’s growth, with everyone’s trust’. This resonates with the core SDG principle of leaving no one behind.
