The increasing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in India accessing their connections from the time of independence through the Non-Alignment Movement members to discuss the situation at hand and to understand better ways to handle the crisis at a global level.
“NAM Summit 2020”
Azerbaijan, the current chair of NAM, organized the virtual summit on Monday to forge a united response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It said the summit was aimed at mobilizing NAM member states to fight Covid-19 and to strengthen multilateralism.
More than 30 heads of state and government and other leaders from Asia, Africa, Latin
America, and therefore the Caribbean joined Monday’s meeting, which was also addressed by UN General Assembly president Tijjani Muhammed Bande, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, EU high representative Josep Borrell and WHO director-general Tedros Ghebreyesus.
This would be the first time the Prime Minister participated in the NAM Summit since his election to office.
“PM’s address”
During his address in the video conference of NAM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that the crisis has exposed the limitations of the existing international system and that the world needs a new framework of globalization and international institutions that are more representative. He added that efforts to promote human welfare will have to go side by side with measures for economic growth in the post-COVID world order.
“Better cooperation”
He also called for better cooperation by efforts to organize a coordinated response to the
pandemic and further hold conferences with the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). He also proposed the joining of the special G20 Summit.
He went on to focus on the new world order in the post-pandemic period. Mod stated that NAM can promote global solidarity at a time when humanity is facing its most serious crisis in many decades.
“Covid-19 has shown us the restrictions of the prevailing Systeme International d’Unites. In the post-Covid world, we’d like a replacement template of globalization supported fairness, equality, and humanity. We need international institutions that are more representative of today’s world, we’d like to market human welfare and not specialise in the economic process alone,” Modi said.
He mentioned India’s role to aid initiatives to help mould a better world through initiatives such as International Solar Alliance to deal with the climate change that shall follow, the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and International Day of Yoga.
“Called out fake news”
He also further bashed those agencies spreading fake news and misinformation.“Even as the world fights Covid-19, some people are busy spreading other deadly viruses like terrorism, fake news, and doctored videos to divide communities and countries.”
“Medical aid”
He further indicated how Indian has reflected how democracy, discipline, and decisiveness to aide a genuine people’s movement. “India is considered a pharmacy of the planet, especially for affordable medicines. Despite our own needs, we’ve ensured medical supplies to over 123 partner countries, including 59 members of NAM,” Modi said highlighting the recent lifting of export bans.
As part of its global initiative, India has also organized an online training program to share its medical expertise with others and is active in global efforts to develop a vaccine.
“Many countries organize military drills but India had taken the initiative to organize disaster management drills in our region and beyond. NAM should call upon the international community and the World Health Organization to specialise in building health capacity in developing countries,” he said.
Adding to this, he stated that the NAM should ensure equitable, affordable, and timely access to health products and technology as well as help develop a platform where all member countries will pool in their resources of crisis management protocols, best practices, and research.
“Declaration”
“In the founding spirit of the movement, allow us to aim today to return together, not grow apart… Let us work as partners towards an inclusive and cooperative global response,” Modi said.
Following the summit, the leaders adopted a declaration stating the importance of global
solidarity within the fight against Covid-19 and announced the creation of a task force to spot the requirements of member states in terms of medical, social, and humanitarian needs.
