United Nations (PTI) :Elevating his election winning mantra “sabka saath, sabka vikas” at the global stage, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today called for a more stable and inclusive growth.
In his maiden address to the UN General Assembly, Modi stressed that it require a genuine international partnership.
“At one level, it means a better coordination of policy so that our efforts become mutually supportive, not mutually damaging,” he said.
“It also means when we craft agreements on international trade, we accommodate each other’s concerns and interests.
“When we think of the scale of want in the world – 2.5 billion people without access to basic sanitation; 1.3 billion people without access to electricity; or 1.1 billion people without access to drinking water, we need a more comprehensive and concerted direct international action,” he said.
“In India, the most important aspects of my development agenda are precisely to focus on these issues.
Outlining his vision for a post-2015 development agenda, Modi said the eradication of poverty must remain the core of the ambitious agenda and “command our fullest attention.”
Modi said the countries should be honest in shouldering their responsibilities in meeting the challenges.
“The world had agreed on a beautiful balance of collective action – common but differentiated responsibilities. That should form the basis of continued action,” he said.
This also means that the developed countries must fulfil their commitments for funding and technology transfer.
Underlining India’s commitment towards sharing its technology, Modi said, “India is prepared to share its technology and capabilities, just as we have announced a free satellite for the SAARC countries.”
Observing that globalisation has created new poles of growth; new industries; and new source of employment, Modi said at the same time, billions live on the edge of poverty and want; countries that are barely able to survive a global economic storm.
“There has never been a time when it has seemed more possible than now to change this. Technology has made things possible; the cost of providing it has reduced. We no longer are totally dependent on bricks and mortars,” he said.
The tech-savvy Prime Minister used the analogy of Facebook and Twitter to tell the UNGA that?development and empowerment can spread at the same speed as the two social networks have spread across the world.
“If you think of the speed with which Facebook or Twitter has spread around the world, if you think of the speed with which cell phones have spread, then you must also believe that development and empowerment can spread with the same speed,” he said.
