EAM S Jaishankar Attends Historic Joint Ministerial Meeting at UNGA
New York [US], September 26: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended the first-ever Joint Ministerial Meeting of L.69 and C-10 groupings of nations during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
During the meeting, Jaishankar emphasized the need for reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) membership in both permanent and non-permanent categories. The meeting was chaired by Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Ralph E Gonsalves, who is the Spokesperson of the L.69 group.
Jaishankar expressed his encouragement on X, highlighting the need for comprehensive UNSC reform and calling for Text Based Negotiations in the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) process to achieve concrete outcomes within a fixed timeframe. He thanked PM Ralph Gonsalves for his leadership and lauded the enthusiastic participation of colleagues from C-10.
The ministers at the L.69 Annual Ministerial Meeting reiterated the urgent need to make the Security Council more representative, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic, and accountable. They recognized the Summit of the Future as an opportunity for renewed commitment to Security Council reform.
The leaders of the AU Committee of 10 (C-10) participated in the meeting to exchange views on the status of the IGN on Security Council Reform. The ministers stressed the importance of developing countries in safeguarding the effectiveness, credibility, and relevance of the Security Council’s decisions.
They underscored the need for greater representation of the Global South, especially underrepresented regions like Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean, in both permanent and non-permanent categories of membership. The ministers also supported discussions on the representation of cross-regional groups, including Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
The leaders reaffirmed their support for the Common African Position, as outlined in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration, emphasizing it as a way to address historical injustices done to Africa.
The ministers recognized that delays in comprehensive Security Council reform impact the credibility and legitimacy of the United Nations. They renewed their commitment to achieving the widest possible political acceptance on the five clusters set forth in GA Decision 62/557.
Jaishankar also met with several delegates and diplomats on the sidelines of UNGA, including Ralph Gonsalves, Bhutanese counterpart DN Dhungyel, Brazilian counterpart Mauro Vieira, Kazakhstan Foreign Minister Nurtleu, Morocco Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Belgium Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, and Swiss Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.
Doubts Revealed
EAM -: EAM stands for External Affairs Minister. In India, this is the person in charge of managing the country’s relationships with other countries.
S Jaishankar -: S Jaishankar is the current External Affairs Minister of India. He helps India talk and work with other countries.
UNGA -: UNGA stands for United Nations General Assembly. It’s a big meeting where countries from all over the world come together to discuss important issues.
L.69 -: L.69 is a group of countries that want to make changes to the United Nations, especially to make it fairer for everyone.
C-10 -: C-10 is another group of countries that also want to make the United Nations better and more fair.
United Nations Security Council -: The United Nations Security Council is a part of the United Nations that makes important decisions about keeping peace in the world. Some countries want to change how it works to make it fairer.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a small country made up of islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Ralph E Gonsalves -: Ralph E Gonsalves is the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. He leads the government of his country.
international delegates -: International delegates are people who come from different countries to represent their governments in meetings and discussions.
diplomats -: Diplomats are people who work to manage relationships between their country and other countries. They help solve problems and make agreements.