Key Points: PM Modi's address to UN General Assembly

September 29, 2014

PM Modi’s first speech before the UNGA has been commended by his supporters and critics alike. He touched upon various topics concerning India and the world in his address, which was delivered in Hindi. The speech which lasted a little more than thirty minutes was read from a prepared text, and some parts were extempore too. Some of the points he made in his speech are as follows:-

The PM asserted that India’s future was tied with that of its neighbors. Citing instances of his government’s attempts to reach out to different neighbors, he also made it clear that no stable relationship could be built under the shadow of terrorism
Condemning terrorism and rising extremism in various parts of the world, he insisted that all nations of the world would have to function in unison to deal with such a menace. He also called for genuine dialogue and engagement between countries
In a rebuke to Mr. Nawaz Sharif’s reference to Kashmir in his speech, the PM said that it was pointless to raise bilateral issues in international forums like the UN
He also stated that it was now up to Pakistan to establish an atmosphere that was conducive to resuming talks
Rejecting unilateralism, he said that countries would have to work together to resolve the issues before them. Drawing on India’s ancient history and wisdom, he stated that India viewed the world as one. Even though India is a developing nation it is ready to share its modest resources with the world, he stated. He also questioned the necessity of various grouping of nations like G8 etc when a multilateral body like the UN existed.
He also called for reforms to the UNSC
He highlighted issues faced by nations and it people due to globalization and climate chang
He said that democratic principles and unity were on an upsurge in various parts of the world, highlighting Afghanistan and Nepal as examples. He also mentioned that the world was experiencing increasing levels of prosperity and stability, especially in Latin America
The PM drew on India’s soft power across the globe by making references to yoga and calling for celebration of International Yoga Day

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