New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said terrorism could never be justified or rationalised as an instrument of statecraft, urging countries to demonstrate zero tolerance towards the threat and calling on the United Nations to take a more decisive role in addressing global crises.
Speaking at an event in New Delhi marking the 75th anniversary of the Chinmaya Mission, Jaishankar warned that political calculations continued to undermine collective efforts against terrorism. Without naming any country, he said some states allowed political considerations to take precedence despite the lessons of history.
Highlighting the importance of peace amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia, Jaishankar said wars in any part of the world threatened stability everywhere. He maintained that dialogue and diplomacy remained the only way to resolve conflicts and called for stronger international cooperation to counter terrorism in all its forms.
The minister also urged the United Nations to acknowledge its limitations and shortcomings while pursuing institutional reforms. Referring to the spirit behind the organisation’s founding after the Second World War, he said cooperation had been chosen over competition as a means of addressing shared global challenges.
Jaishankar argued that the case for “reformed multilateralism” was becoming stronger by the day, stressing that large parts of the world could not be excluded from international decision-making.
“The UN must show leadership, not be a spectator to global crises,” he said, emphasising that the organisation needed to evolve to meet contemporary challenges. UN Resident Coordinator in India Stefan Priesner was also present at the event.
Jaishankar highlighted the economic pressures confronting developing countries, describing the Global South’s challenges as a “4F crisis” involving finance, fuel, food and fertiliser. He said developed countries also had a stake in addressing these difficulties and called for measures to reduce risks in the international economy and provide countries with more diversified options.
Warning against market distortions caused by restrictions and supply-chain bottlenecks, he said a meaningful international dialogue on these issues was overdue.
He further stressed that progress and prosperity were interconnected, saying global advancement could not be sustained while large sections of humanity remained deprived.
Reiterating the importance of collective action, Jaishankar said the challenges and opportunities facing the world could be addressed most effectively through cooperation. He called for renewed commitment to unity and reform as countries confront geopolitical conflicts, economic uncertainty and rapid technological change.
