‘India will always seek to strengthen…’: S Jaishankar on UN's 77th anniversary

 

The foreign minister also said India aims to ensure the United Nations continues to remain relevant.

On the 77th anniversary of the United Nations, external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Monday said India, a founding member of the intergovernmental organisation, will always seek to strengthen the UN's effectiveness.

“India's ongoing tenure as a member of the Security Council has reflected our principled approach of promoting dialogue and diplomacy to meet contemporary challenges. We will always stand with the Global South and seek to strengthen the UN's effectiveness,” Jaishankar said in a tweet.

The foreign minister further said India's focus on reformed multilateralism, rule of law, and a fair and equitable international system is to ensure the UN continues to remain relevant.

“As a founding member, India remains committed to its purposes and principles. Our contributions to implementing the goals of the Charter are a reflection of this commitment,” concluded Jaishankar.

On June 26, 1945, a total of 50 countries, including India, became signatories to the United Nations charter; on October 15, Poland joined as well, taking the total number of member states in 1945 to 51.

The United Nations

The United Nations came into existence on October 24, 1945, as the Charter was ratified was by the 5 permanent Security Council members – China, France, Russia, UK, US – and a majority of other countries. At present, it has 193 member states, and is headquartered in New York City, with main offices in Geneva, Nairobi, Vienna, and The Hague.

A successor to the League of Nations, the UN was formed after World War II to prevent future wars. Its stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly ties among countries, and achieve international cooperation.