World cannot be fatalistic: Jaishankar on Ukraine, Gaza conflicts at UNGA debate

Jaishankar addresses UN General Assembly on urgent need for global solutions amid ongoing conflicts and unfair globalisation practices.

Amid the ongoing Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, India on Saturday (September 28, 2024) cautioned that the world cannot be “fatalistic" about the continuation of violence on a large scale, asserting that the international community seeks "urgent solutions" and its sentiments must be acknowledged and acted upon.

“We are gathered here at a difficult time. The world is yet to recover from the ravages of the Covid pandemic. A war in Ukraine is well into its third year. The conflict in Gaza is acquiring wider ramifications,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said at the General Debate of the 79th U.N. General Assembly.

He said the U.N. has always maintained that peace and development go hand-in-hand. “Yet, when challenges to one have emerged, due regard has not been given to the other. Clearly, their economic implications for the weak and vulnerable need to be highlighted," Jaishankar said.

“But we must also recognise that conflicts themselves must be resolved. The world cannot be fatalistic about the continuation of violence on a large scale, no more than be impervious to its broader consequences,” he said.

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Mr. Jaishankar said whether it is the war in Ukraine or the conflict in Gaza, the international community seeks "urgent solutions" and “these sentiments must be acknowledged and acted upon”.

India lamented that across the Global South, development plans have gone off rails and SDG targets are receding.