External Affairs Minister Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has said that India has consistently supported the United Nations in strengthening international peace and security. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today, Dr Jaishankar said, this support has been expressed in a variety of ways, including its unique contribution to UN peacekeeping operations. He said, this contribution is also reflected in India’s membership of the UN Security Council on eight occasions, with the next candidature formally announced for 2028-29. The Minister said, each tenure has witnessed placing issues of Indian interest on the international agenda, the most recent one, in 2021-22, focusing on maritime security and counter-terrorism. He said, the six priorities for the 2028-29 candidature are, A Voice of Global South, Advancing Reformed Multilateralism, A Future Ready Peacekeeping, Addressing threats posed by the misuse of AI, Securing Maritime Commons and Countering Terror Financing.
Dr Jaishankar said India is a key contributor to global peace and security, with almost three lakh peacekeepers serving in more than 50 UN missions. He said, currently, four thousand two hundred Indian peacekeepers are deployed in nine out of 11 active missions, working in challenging conditions to promote international peace. The Minister said, India has firmly advanced its view that dialogue and diplomacy are the best means to achieve lasting and durable peace. He said, this has been stated in respect of the Ukraine conflict, the developments in West Asia as well as hostilities in the Gulf. Dr Jaishankar said, with regard to the challenge of terrorism, India has strongly advocated a policy of zero-tolerance and asserted the right of nations to defend themselves against terrorism. He said, since 1996, India has also called for the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism.
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