 "PM Narendra Modi at the inauguration of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. The pink sandstone ‘BAPS Hindu Mandir’ sits on a 27-acre plot")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday pitched for reforms of multilateral institutions, as he pushed for greater voice in the Global South in its decision making.
Addressing the annual World Government Summit in Dubai as the Guest of Honour, Prime Minister Modi stressed that India will continue to contribute to global progress based on his role as "Vishwa Bandhu”.
Addressing a large gathering of world leaders, Modi elaborated on the role played by India as the chair of G-20 last year.
He highlighted the efforts made by India to bring development concerns facing the Global South to the centre stage of global discourse.
Modi said India has brought in its own reforms based on the mantra of 'Minimum Government, Maximum Governance' and that governments should interfere as little as possible in the lives of people.
"I believe that people should neither feel the absence of a government, but at the same time, nor should there be pressure from the government," he stressed.
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Arguing for a human centric approach for governance, the PM held up India's experience with leveraging digital technology to further welfare, inclusivity and sustainability. He also underlined India’s focus on people’s participation, last-mile-delivery and women-led development to achieve an inclusive society.
“Given the inter-connected nature of the world, governments must collaborate and learn from each other to address future challenges,” Modi said.
He highlighted that it was the need of the hour for governance to be inclusive, tech-smart, clean and transparent, and green.
In this context, he said governments must prioritise – Ease of Living, Ease of Justice, Ease of Mobility, Ease of Innovation and Ease of Doing Business in their approach to public service. He also pitched the Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) which aims to create a sustainable world, to the global community.
The Summit brings together leaders in government for a global dialogue about governmental process and policies with a focus on the issues of futurism, technology innovation, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
This year, the Summit saw the participation of 20 world leaders, including 10 Presidents and 10 Prime Ministers. Overall, governments and delegates from over 120 countries were represented at the global gathering.
Modi also had a bilateral meeting with Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina.
On Wednesday, PM Modi sent a recorded virtual message to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Ministerial Meeting, on the occasion of its 50th Anniversary.
He said the inter-governmental body would benefit from a bigger role played by India. "Inclusivity boosts the credibility and capability of any institution. 1.4 billion Indians bring talent, technology and innovation to the table. We bring scale and speed, quantity and quality to every mission. I am sure that the IEA will benefit when India plays a bigger role in it," Modi explained.
He stressed that India is the world’s fastest growing major economy.
"In one decade, we went from the 11th largest economy to the 5th largest. In the same period, our solar energy capacity grew twenty-six fold. Our renewable energy capacity also doubled. We exceeded our Paris commitments in this regard, ahead of timelines," he said.
"India is home to 17 per cent of the global population. We are running some of the world’s largest energy access initiatives. Yet, our carbon emissions account for only 4 per cent of the global total. However, we are firmly committed to combating climate change," he added.
