| The world today is unfortunately not only about expanding economic and technological horizons. There are dangers and pitfalls such as poverty, environmental degradation, constriction of political freedom and choice, growth of extremism and intolerance, international terrorism, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the risk of their falling into the hands of irresponsible actors, pandemics, energy security and climate change. Quite often, the manner of addressing some of these challenges poses a challenge in itself. For a large, diverse, developing democracy located in a region going through many painful transitions, these are not academic concerns, but real, daily issues. We have to respond to them energetically, creatively and in partnership with other actors on the international stage. |
| From our perspective, the primary challenge for the world today has to be the elimination of poverty and a radical improvement in the living standards of people in the developing world. Much of the industry in the developing world needs significant technology upgrades to become globally competitive. Agriculture faces challenges of productivity, technology, managing scarce water resources and establishing marketing standards. Infrastructure needs a drastic overhaul. Access to predictable, affordable and environmentally sound energy resources, in particular, has emerged as a major bottleneck and must rank foremost in our priorities. A priority task of Indian diplomacy has to be the facilitation of the developmental process, promotion of trade and investment flows, securing predictable and affordable energy supplies and ensuring the widest possible access to technologies. While the primary development effort has to be national, we need to leverage international partnerships to the best possible effect. |
| The second challenge is institutional. While people are sovereign in choosing how to govern themselves, the Indian experience is that democracy is essential to the management of the diverse aspirations of a plural society. It is also undoubtedly one of the best tools to manage social change without upheaval and violence. As the world becomes more connected and inter-dependent, the diversity that we see at the level of individual nations will necessarily get more and more reflected at the global level. The management of this global diversity under conditions of interdependence would require the application of democratic principles to global governance as well. |
| India is not looking for new poles, but rather a pluralistic world order that is reflective of the diversity of the world today and accommodating towards new players who can contribute solutions to tomorrow's problems. In this context, the composition of the UN Security Council too needs to come to terms with present reality and reflect future potential. This premier institution of global governance needs to be democratised and India needs to find its rightful place in an expanded Council. |
| Another priority has to be a significant diminution, if not outright elimination, of the threat of war and conflict. Peace and security are indispensable in confronting challenges that the international community will face in the coming years. In India, we are acutely aware of the ferment in our neighbourhood and the need to ensure a peaceful periphery for our and the region's development. Here again, international priorities blend with our national priorities. |
| (Excerpts from External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's speech at the inauguration of the new campus of the Foreign Service Institute in New Delhi on November 14, 2007) |
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