New Delhi [India], October 24 (ANI): Speaking at the 80th United Nations anniversary celebrations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar underscored the challenges facing multilateralism, particularly highlighting the UN's response to terrorism and the growing distress of the Global South amid ongoing global crises.

'Few examples are more telling about the challenges facing the UN than its response to terrorism. When a sitting Security Council member openly protects the very organisation that claims responsibility for barbaric terror attacks such as at Pahalgam, what does it do to the credibility of multilateralism?' Jaishankar said, pointing to the growing failure of international institutions to hold perpetrators accountable.

He further questioned the global community's sincerity in combating terrorism, stating, 'If victims and perpetrators of terrorism are equated in the name of global strategy, how much more cynical can the world get? When self-proclaimed terrorists are shielded from the sanctioning process, what does it say for the sincerity of those involved?'

Jaishankar's remarks came in the backdrop of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 tourists, including 25 Indian nationals and one Nepalese citizen, were killed by Pakistan-backed terrorists. In response, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7, targeting terror camps operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) through precision strikes. India also successfully repelled subsequent Pakistani escalation and neutralised its airbases.

Turning his focus to broader global concerns, the External Affairs Minister said that the credibility of the UN was not only being tested on matters of security but also in the sphere of development. 'If the maintenance of international peace and security has become lip service, the predicament of development and socio-economic progress is even more serious,' he noted.

Highlighting the growing economic and political challenges faced by developing nations, Jaishankar added, 'The slowing down of the SDG Agenda 2030 is a significant metric to measure the distress of the Global South. There are many more, whether it is trade measures, supply chain dependence or political domination.'

Despite his critical observations, Jaishankar struck an optimistic tone, urging member states to renew their commitment to multilateralism and collective action. 'Yet, on such a notable anniversary, we cannot abandon hope. However difficult, the commitment to multilateralism must remain strong. However flawed, the United Nations must be supported in this time of crisis. Our faith in international cooperation must be reiterated and indeed renewed,' he said.

Concluding his address, the minister reflected on the symbolism of the occasion, remarking, 'I thank you again for joining us on this important day, on this important anniversary and as my colleague said, what unites us is what is most important and the fact that we are meeting here today, I think sends a message in itself.'

Jaishankar's remarks at the event reflected India's firm stance on counter-terrorism, its advocacy for the Global South, and its enduring belief in the reform and relevance of the United Nations in addressing contemporary global challenges. (ANI)