Categories: Augustine Veliath

Diwali, and the 25 Lamps that Antonio Lit

On October 24th, the United Nations will celebrate its 75th anniversary. This year, the day coincides with India’s festival of lights—Diwali or Deepavali.

Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, paid a visit to India. This is a significant step for India, as it looks to take a more active role in global affairs.

The visit was an opportunity for India to reaffirm its commitment to multilateralism and to show its support for the United Nations. It was also an opportunity for the Secretary-General to see first-hand what India is doing to promote peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights around the world.

Together the Prime Minister and the Secretary General launched The Lifestyle for Environment initiative. The initiative seeks to create a self-reliant model that transforms consumption habits for the benefit of all – in India and around the world.

Addressing the Bombay IIT students, he said “ I can see here today that India’s research and innovation ecosystem is strong and vibrant. And if I may be allowed to address the students in the hall: I urge you to use your considerable talents.

to tackle the planetary emergency we face.
to develop renewable technology;
to find new solutions to pollution and to biodiversity loss.

Naturally, I respectfully urge you not to work for those who are wrecking our climate. I’ve been saying that to university students all around the world. Don’t look only at your future goal, look at the contribution of the countries or entities for which you work, to have a better world, a more sustainable and inclusive world. And you will feel much happier afterwards.

Largest and Fastest Growing

Lamp 1 UN Charter took great inspiration from Gandhi-ji’s message of peace, non-violence and tolerance.

Lamp 2 And thanks to an Indian woman, Hansa Mehta, Article One of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes the equality of women and men: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.”

Lamp 3 India is the world’s largest democracy and fastest-growing economy.

Lamp 4 India has always been a leading advocate for the concerns and aspirations of developing countries.

Lamp 5 India is a major contributor to UN peacekeeping missions. India is the biggest provider of military and police personnel to UN missions – including the first all-women UN police contingent to a peacekeeping mission. Over 200,000 Indian men and women have served in 49 peacekeeping missions since 1948. A remarkable contribution to peace in the world.

High Impact and Delivered to Scale

Lamp 6 India’s recent development journey is characterized by high-impact programmes delivered at scale, including the world’s largest food-based social protection scheme and the massive expansion of access to clean water and sanitation services.

Lamp 7 As a result of these initiatives, many Indian women have taken on leadership roles in scientific research and technology.

Lamp 8 India’s G20 presidency will be an important opportunity to bring the values

Lamp 9 India has the opportunity to shape the global agenda and be a model for other countries as it is home to one-sixth of humanity and the world’s largest generation of young people.

Lamp 10 India’s success in translating the Sustainable Development Goals into action will mean the difference between success and failure for up to half of the global Sustainable Development Goal targets.

Women, Health and Money

Lamp 11. India’s whole-of-society approach to development combines old-fashioned community outreach with cutting-edge technology. Many of your most successful programmes are driven by world-class public digital infrastructure, which aligns more than one billion mobile internet users with financial inclusion initiatives, online health services and more.

Lamp 12. Indian women have played a central role in many initiatives, from health workers at community clinics, scientific research, technology, etc.

Lamp 13. CoWIN hosted world’s largest vaccination programme for COVID=19 delivering more than 2 billion doses.

Lamp 14. The international finance system is morally bankrupt and needs to be changed. It is devised for the rich.

Lamp 15. Developed countries must provide financial and technical support to emerging economies in order for them to close the mitigation gap.

Climate Action

Lamp 16. Climate devastation is a reality at 1.2 degrees of warming. Climate change is a major issue that needs to be addressed. The devastating impact of climate disruption is more apparent by the month. You have felt this across India, from heatwaves in the grain-growing heartlands to flooding in the northeast and coastal states. Record-breaking heat waves, droughts and floods in parts of India are causing havoc already. These are a foretaste of what is to come without much greater global climate action.

Lamp 17. G20 countries are responsible for 80% of global emissions and need to take the lead in cutting greenhouse gases.

Lamp 18. India is taking a lead role in converting domestic climate action into international collaboration through the International Solar Alliance and the International Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure. We need to establish of the Just Energy Transition Partnerships.

Renewable Revolution

Lamp 19. A renewables revolution is necessary, and that it can only happen if developed countries support developing countries.

Lamp. 20 Critical renewables technologies should be treated as global public goods.

Lamp 21. The goal is to diversify supply chains and manufacturing capacity, reduce the cost of capital for renewable energy investments in the developing world, and make multilateral development institutions more effective.

Lamp 22 India has the potential to become a global superpower in renewables technology and a manufacturing hub to fuel this revolution around the world.

Indian Model of Plurality

Lamp 23 The Indian model of plurality is based on the understanding that diversity makes a country stronger.

Lamp 24. This understanding is not a guarantee, but something that needs to be nurtured.

Lamp 25. Gandhi’s values, securing and upholding rights and dignity, taking action for inclusion, and condemning hate speech can help to nurture this understanding.

In short, India has an opportunity to lead by example as a model of resilience and an advocate for sustainable development, global financial reform, and climate justice.

India as Born Model

Hailing India as a leader from birth Mr Guterres also said “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”.

“As an elected member of the Human Rights Council, India has a responsibility to shape global human rights, and to protect and promote the rights of all individuals, including members of minority communities.”, he added.

He urged India to continue speaking up for peace; to expand its global leadership; to align its development and its foreign policy with the SDGs and the Paris Agreement; to find innovative solutions to today’s global crises.

As your first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, said at the dawn of Independence 75 years ago:

“Our dreams are for India, but they are also for the world, for all the nations and peoples are too closely knit together today for any one of them to imagine that it can live apart.”

He promised “Across the United Nations system, at the global level, through the UN Resident Coordinator and the UN Country Team of Agencies, Funds and Programmes, we are proud to be your committed partners. Let’s work together for the next 75 years to create a more peaceful, just, sustainable and inclusive world for all, he concluded.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Modi, the two leaders discussed how India and the United Nations can work together to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. They also discussed climate change and how India is working to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Prime Minister reaffirmed India’s support for reform of the UN Security Council, including expansion of both permanent and non-permanent members.

Conclusion

The visit by Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, to India is a sign of things to come. It signals that India is set to take on a more active role in global affairs. This is good news for both India and for the United Nations. With Indian leadership, we can expect great things from both organizations in terms of promoting peace and security, sustainable development, and human rights around the world.

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