There is no alternative to reformed multilateralism and issue-based cooperation to find fair and equitable solutions that will ensure that no-one is left behind, India said on Wednesday, as it expressed its commitment to achieving the UN's 17 sustainable development goals.
At the high-level segment during the 43rd Session of the Human Rights Council here, Vikas Swarup, Secretary (West)), said that India believes in Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas (Inclusive development for all and with the trust of all).
"This is the core principle that inspires the robust socio-economic policies that we have adopted to address complex and inter-related needs of our people," he said.
Swarup highlighted several initiatives by the Indian government like financial inclusion scheme, free health insurance for 500 million people; providing 150 million homes for the underprivileged over the next 5 years to achieve development goals.
He also mention schemes like free cooking gas connections for women from rural households in the poorest strata of society; construction of over 110 million sanitary units in five years, in the world's biggest sanitary services project, for achieving the 2030 agenda.
"Each of these initiatives mirrors the targets of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, for achieving the 2030 agenda. Each one allows us to ensure that no one is left behind," Swarup said.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.
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At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. They recognise that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth all while tackling climate change and working to preserve oceans and forests.
Remembering Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th anniversary year, Swarup said the wisdom, humanism and keen sense of justice of this apostle of peace and non violence must guide us as we seek to achieve the ideals enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights and the 2030 agenda.
"We live today in difficult, yet hopeful times. We are beset as never before by borderless challenges of climate change, terrorism, pandemics and rising inequality, including of access to the digital domain," he said.
"Both old and new challenges impact upon the full and effective enjoyment of human rights. There is no alternative to reformed multilateralism and issue-based cooperation to find fair and equitable solutions that will ensure that no-one is left behind," he added.
Even as the country cater to the growing needs of its people within the constraints of our limited resources, India is in the forefront in sharing with our partners in the developing world our experiences and expertise, including through grant assistance and demand-driven low-interest loans, as well as through capacity-building.
"Every year we are training more than 10,000 participants from across the world and the numbers are growing. These partnerships are rooted in mutual understanding and solidarity and provide a template for global cooperation," he said.
"The need for global cooperation is nowhere more evident than in preserving Mother Earth. Respect for the environment is a part of India's civilisational inheritance.
"We do believe, however, that combating climate change requires concerted global action and there is no 'equality' of suffering especially for the most vulnerable on our planet. That is why we have always advocated 'Climate Justice' and 'Equity'," Swarup said.
This is also the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed at the UN General Assembly last year a Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure, to jointly mitigate some of the socio-economic consequences of natural disasters, he said.
"At the same time, we have increased efforts to prioritize renewable energy including by making it more affordable. One such initiative is the International Solar Alliance, for which membership is now open to all UN States," he said.
Prime Minister Modi has also called for more sustainable lifestyles. As part of this he has called for doing away with single use plastics in India by 2022, Swarup said.