India at the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

The 76th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 76) opened on, 14 September 2021.

  • The UNGA’s theme for this session is “Building resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations".

Key Highlights

  • India’s Prime Minister addressed the Assembly. Some of the important points raised by India are as follows:
  • Threat of Terrorism: The world is facing a significant threat from regressive thinking and extremism, and many countries are using “terrorism as a political tool”.
  • UNSC Resolution 2593: India emphasised the need to abide by UNSC Resolution 2593 which says that Afghan territory must never again be used to threaten or attack any country or to shelter or train terrorists.
  • COVID-19: India has developed the world’s first DNA vaccine. It can be administered to anyone above the age of 12. A nasal vaccine against COVID-19 is also being developed by Indian scientists. An mRNA vaccine is in the final stages of development.
  • India on the Global Stage: Every sixth person in the world is an Indian. Therefore India’s progress means development of the world.
  • Prime Minister emphasized on Democracy through which many socio-economic problems can be resolved.
  • India’s Developmental Model: The country believes that development should be all inclusive, all pervasive, universal, and one that nurtures all.
  • Maritime Security: Oceans are the lifeline of international trade and must be protected from the race of expansion and exclusion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order..
  • Climate Change: India has taken significant steps to address climate change and has ambitious golas with regard to Green Hydrogen and renewable energy. The country is progressing towards the goal of 450GW of renewable energy.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

  • It is the main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ of the UN.
  • All 193 Member States of the UN are represented in the General Assembly, making it the only UN body with universal representation.
  • Each year, the annual General Assembly session, and general debate are held.
  • In the UNGA, decisions on important questions, such as those on peace and security, admission of new members and budgetary matters, require a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly. Decisions on other questions require simple majority.

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