As it happened: Sushma Swaraj addresses 72nd United Nations General Assembly
Sushma Swaraj delivered her speech in Hindi. Swaraj, 65, addressed the UN General Assembly for the second consecutive time.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj in her speech at 72nd UN General Assembly expressed concerns over terrorism, climate change, maritime security, unemployment, gender empowerment, nuclear proliferation and cyber-security. She said that our contemporary world is trapped in a deluge of troubles of which, surely, the most dangerous is the relentless rise of violence.
Swaraj admired and supported the determination of new Secretary-General to prepare and strengthen UN to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
On achieving target set for 2030, the minister calls for a sense of urgency and unshakable fortitude to take decisions to avert catastrophe. She said that India has displayed courage and leadership to take tough decisions which have launched interlinked process of sustainable development.
Swaraj also attacked Pakistan over the issue of terrorism saying India is engaged in fighting poverty but its neighbour Pakistan seems engaged in fighting with New Delhi only. She said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had offered the hand of peace and friendship and Pakistan’s Prime Minister must answer why his nation spurned this offer.
Swaraj, 65, delivered her speech in Hindi like the last year.
As it happened:
9:45pm: Incredible speech by EAM Sushma Swaraj at the UN! She has made India extremely proud at the world stage. EAM Sushma Swaraj was insightful in identifying global challenges & strongly reiterated India's commitment to create a better planet: PM Modi
9:14pm: India's culture and thought have been shaped by history and philosophy that believes in peace as humankind's only rational and practical objective: Swaraj
9:13pm: On a goal to reform the peace and security architecture, Sushma Swaraj said that without improvements in UN Peacekeeping this goal can’t be achieved.
9:12pm: Early reform of the Security Council is an essential element of our overall effort to reform the United Nations, says Swaraj
09:11pm: On climate change, Swaraj says that India is deeply committed to the Paris Accord. PM Modi launched the Intl Solar Alliance towards this cause.
# Let us accept that terrorism is an existentialist danger to humankind. There is absolutely no justification for this barbaric violence: Swaraj
9:09pm: Swaraj on Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism: If we cannot agree to define our enemy, how can we fight together?
9:06pm: On the menace of terrorism, Swaraj stresses that we must all introspect and ask ourselves whether our talk is anywhere close to the action we take
9:04pm: IIT vs LeT, IIM vs JeM, AIIMS vs HM: Sushma Swaraj shows mirror to Pakistan and highlights the glaring difference between India and Pakistan
9:02pm: I would like today to tell Pak politicians just this much, that perhaps the wisest thing they could do is to look within. India and Pakistan became free within hours of each other. Why is that today India is recognised IT superpower in the world, and pak is recognised only as the pre-eminent export factory of terror?
9:02pm: Pak PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi leveled various allegations on us recently. PM Narendra Modi has offered the hand of peace and friendship. Pakistan’s Prime Minister must answer why his nation spurned this offer: Swaraj
# Swaraj praises inclusion of Global Partnership principle in SDGs, says India has started, this year, the India-UN Development Partnership Fund.
# Our 'Save the girl, Educate the girl' campaign is reducing gender inequality. The Clean India programme is generating what can only be described as a revolutionary change in social attitudes and habits. There are two ways of addressing the curse of poverty. The traditional method is through incremental levels of aid and hand-holding. But our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has chosen the more radical route, through economic empowerment. The poor are not helpless; we have merely denied them opportunity. We are eliminating poverty by investing in the poor. We are turning them from job-seekers into job-providers.
9pm: Stressing on PM Modi's economic empowerment approach to eradicate poverty, Swaraj says- "We are turning them from job-seekers into job-providers"
# India has passed the Goods and Services Tax (GST) legislation, through which there is one-tax across the country, without the untidy and punishing system of multiple taxes under differing categories in different parts of India.
8:59pm: India has displayed courage & leadership to take tough decisions which have launched interlinked process of sustainable development. Demonetisation was a courageous decision to challenge one of the by-products of corruption, the 'black money' that disappeared from circulation.
8:58pm: On achieving target set for 2030,EAM @SushmaSwaraj calls for a sense of urgency&unshakeable fortitude to take decisions to avert catastrophe
8:56pm: EAM spells out concerns like terrorism, climate change, maritime security, unemployment, gender emprmnt, nuclear proliferation&cybersecurity
8:55pm: Our contemporary world is trapped in a deluge of troubles of which, surely, the most dangerous is the relentless rise of violence.
# Swaraj admires and supports the determination of new Secretary-General to prepare and strengthen UN to meet the challenges of the 21st century.