The Big Picture - UN ECOSOC High-Level Segment

PM Modi on Friday virtually delivered the keynote address at this year’s High-Level Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. The annual Segment convenes a diverse group of high-level representatives from government, private sector, civil society and academia. This was the first opportunity for the PM to address the broader UN membership since India’s overwhelming election as a non-permanent member of the Security Council. The theme of this year’s High-level Segment is 'Multilateralism after Covid-19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary'. In this edition of The Big Picture we will analyse the key takeaways from the High-Level Segment of the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

Guests -
1- Yoshita Singh, Chief Correspondent PTI, New York
2- Prabhu Dayal, Former Ambassador.
3- Harsh V. Pant, Head, Strategic Studies, Observer Research Foundation

Anchor - Frank Rausan Pereira

Producer - Sagheer Ahmad

[vishalpandey]

Prabhu dayal starts with expansion of ECOSOC in his intro. Still not over mains answer writing habits :P

[himabindu]

Great words given by Prabhu Dayal sir 🙏

[priyasharma]

Ambassador hit 3 times on nail of the head

[shashiketan]

*184: UN REFORM*
India & the UN
• India takes country with itself – it will work for other countries as well while in UNSC.
• World changing without leadership – India can show how to manage complexity – rising capability & empathy with developing countries – precursor in UNSC.
• COVID Pandemic: India has extended assistance to more than 150 countries, and helped set up a SAARC COVID-19 emergency fund in the South Asian neighbourhood.
• PM positioned India that how India took the fight against pandemic as people’s movement.
• The multilateral system needs to more representative, and that India believes “the path to achieve sustainable peace and prosperity” is through multilateralism. Only reformed multilateralism with a reformed United Nations at its centre can meet the aspirations of humanity, ” said PM Modi.

UN Reform: Need for reformed multilateralism.
• Doesn’t reflect contemporary realities: UN was created on the ashes of WWII. The world has changed completely now. India, Japan & Germany have come a long way since then. India is the largest democracy with economic might, China being the dictator, tianmen square, human rights violation is sitting in high table.
• Leadership is absent currently – US inward, rising China challenging – puts India at centre – heft, ability to deliver.
• Crisis like global pandemic have not been handled – WHO crisis.
• China’s might – ripping of bilateral & regional treaties – needs to be put under checks & balances – time to institutionalize, no other choice than reform keeping UN at centre.
• After the pandemic, smaller countries would need help from so called ‘developed countries’.

World stands at an inflection point where use of power should be for the greater good of community. UN needs to be more inclusive & should ‘build, back better’ for the needs of people. India’s position is key if reformed multilateralism has any chance of success.

[bharatwala]

Well done Frank. You put together a great panel of speakers and anchored the discussion in a competent fashion. I learnt a lot from this discussion.

[SAMARTHYA_IAS_JUDICIARY]

14:45 then why do we need those so called 5 power house is role UK and Russia is playing in UNSC....Who still considers UK as a powerhouse ? Honestly speaking, I don't consider UK as well deserving nation to be there in UNSC...

[sanaj]

Multilateralism is a key in global era and like minded countries have to come together to reform in institution and system.Need of hour developed counties should come to seek humanity in UN.
-Developing countries to emerging need help from Developed countries who claim to have more resources, global power.

[akashsaini]

There are so many country all around the world but no country is like India 🇮🇳🙏
When it comes to india
India has different cultures and different languages India is the only country where you look a different people across the India 🇮🇳🙏

[olongdx]

India and Africa national should be included in the permanent security council for revamping the UN SECURITY COUNCIL. Regarding the pandemic; there is no single world leader who is playing important role to set an example and take control of the situation upto some level; due to this leaderless direction in global arena, the pandemic in creating havoc and instability in the global environment. US seems lost somewhere of being world leader instead becoming more protectionism in their policy towards global issues. India can play vital role in the global leadership if India take care of its domestic issues with realistic approach and not indulge in demagogue politics but building more trust and confidence among its people and towards the global multilateralism context.

[hanamantmunnolli]

UN that exists today is the organisation that had been created in the context of WW-2. There were six organisations created at the time
1)UNGA 2)UNSC. 3) UN ECOSOC
4)ICJ 5) UN secretariat 6) Trusteeship council- which was meant to look after colonisation process and it was wound up as it's relevance was over.. But the other organs did exist. Hence there is a need for substantial reforms. The main reasons for need of reforms are
1) India was not an independent country when UN was created. Now it's world's largest democracy and one of the global economic power.
2) The UNSC, in particular represents a group of elites. The Africa continent as no representation as a permanent member, though most of the work is oriented towards the continent.
3) UN did not reflect the contemporary realities like climate change and pandemic.
. In this context, PM's participation in the ECOSOC virtual meeting and push for reforming multilateralism with reformed UN at it's centre is quite relevant. Consesus must be reached in reforming and the manner of reform which addresses contemporary issues of humanity...

[aku]

Thora tight awaaz aa raha hai aapka please fix it

[shivangeejain]

UN ECOSOC (unites nation economic and social council) :
Theme:- 'multilateralism after covid19: what kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary'
Key highlights:
*Multilateralism
*Reform of UN as a whole
*Age of expansionism is over
*Major power of wolrd should come together for the sake of humanity
*Reform of organizations that are responsible for peace

[vedanshu]

Opening Statement of Yoshita doesn't make any sense

[Rahulpriye]

Good to see professor Pant on the show 👍

[SAMARTHYA_IAS_JUDICIARY]

Reforms in UNSC is indeed more than calculable necessity in order to uphold the sovereignty and security of Individual nations...
Come and cry na for gye sovereignty ke naam pe rone wale...

[gauravchauhan]

India should work on its economy because the reality of this world is economy and profit . India needs support form all five members of security council to become permanent member of UNSC . But it is a biggest challenge for us because of china . china will not favor India to get that permanent seat . China's expansion in most of the countries and he is also using its soft power to manage global order . China and India is a very rivalry we can't say India is safe, because the most developed countries will not come in leading role to stop china there will be a scare for India becoming toy of developed countries like usa . moreover the world where nuclear weapons are available the near future of us is showing that we are leading towards a massive devastation .

[ramashishsahani]

Frank parera sir, You should speak clearly at all point

[SAMARTHYA_IAS_JUDICIARY]

I feel, India should leave this tag if what we can bring on the table as the voice of developing nations....Now the prospect must be like How India can accelerate the pace of changes taking place in the global order be it developing or developed world....As Yoshita rightly mentioned 13:25...onwards...

[bhagyasinghgurjar]

Sir please do a conversation on the future of indo sino ties in the wake of Galwan clash.

And role of Europe and Russia in the new world order that is emerging

[himanshisharma]

Frank sir where is the video of 18 year old boy from mysur interviewing you?