India seeks wider global role in UN reforms push

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday made a strong case for a wider global role for India, saying that the country's rise in the international system will be different from any of the nations that preceded it and its quest to be a "leading power" isn't driven by "self aggrandisement" but motivated by a desire to take on greater responsibilities.

- Prashant Jha

He also offered India's G20 presidency, the country's partnerships with a diverse set of international actors as a "vishwa mitra" (friend of the world), New Delhi's support to the Global South and its immediate neighbourhood, and its own inclusive national development trajectory, as firm evidence of India's distinct and responsible approach.

Speaking at the 78th UN General Assembly high-level week on Tuesday, where he articulated India's national position, Jaishankar warned against the inequities in the global governance architecture, said "rule makers" cannot "subjugate rule takers", declared that injustice across domains will be challenged, and used the inclusion of African Union into the G20 to offer a model to reform the UN Security Council and make it more representative.

Fresh from the success of the G20 Delhi Leaders' Summit, and buoyed by the support of the Global South to India's leadership, Jaishankar used the global stage to pitch India as a responsible and different power.

"All nations pursue their national interests. We, in India, have never seen that as being in contradiction with global good. When we aspire to be a leading power, this is not for self-aggrandisement but to take on greater responsibility and make more contributions. The goals we have set for ourselves will make us different from all those whose rise preceded ours," Jaishankar said.

He offered four broad examples of the Indian approach.