Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address High level Segment of UN ECOSOC this 17th July

Stay tuned to the first keynote address of Modi after winning Security Council elections

Thursday, 16th July 2020

PM Modi will be addressing the UN virtually on this Friday; i.e. July 17th at ECOSOC’s High-Level Segment. This high level segment reflects the yearly work cycle culmination of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and the high level segment meeting calls in a diverse range of high-level individuals from Government, from academia, from the civil society and from the private sector as well. This event has been organized in order to commemorate the 75th anniversary of UN’s formation and is likely to take place on the eve of the anniversary.

This is to be his first keynote address since our country got elected to the UN’s Security Council as one of its non-permanent members last month and it would give Modi ji a chance to address a rather expansive UN Membership. India will be holding this designation for tenure of 2 years. India had been an endorsed candidate in the category of the Asia-Pacific States and had won as many as 184 votes against 192 ballots that were cast in the UN’s Security Council elections for the five seats for non-permanent members.

Modi ji had delivered such a virtual keynote address previously too at ECOSOC’s 70th anniversary held in the month of January 2016. Our country boasts of having an association with ECOSOC across many years. ECOSOC’s inaugural presidency was held in the year 1946 by Indian diplomat Sir Ramaswami Mudaliar.

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Erna Solberg; the Norwegian PM and Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General will deliver their addresses too. This year’s theme for the High-level segment convention is ‘Multilateralism after COVID19: What kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary'.

A statement from India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations read: “Against the backdrop of a changing international environment and the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, the session will focus on critical forces shaping the course of multilateralism and explore ways to bolster the multilateral agenda through strong multilateral leadership, effective international institutions, a broadening of participation and an enhanced focus on global public goods.”

Source: Times of India