New Delhi (NVI): While highlighting India’s commitment to the United Nations, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said that New Delhi left no stone unturned to ensure the success of UN as the world’s leading body at the forefront of keeping peace.
“As a founding member of the United Nations, India is invested with its heart and soul right from the crafting of the principles of the UN Charter to being in the forefront of keeping its peace,” Jaishankar said at an event after releasing a commemorative postage stamp on the 75th anniversary of the UN. The stamp was brought out by the Department of Posts (DOP).
Pertinently, India has been a major contributor of troops to the UN’s peacekeeping missions across the world.
“As Prime Minister rightly emphasised during his address to the UN’s special meeting to commemorate the 75th anniversary recently, and I quote ‘Our world today is a better place because of the United Nations. We pay tribute to all those who have advanced the cause of peace and development under the UN flag, including in UN peacekeeping missions, where India had been a leading contributor.’,” he said.
He further states that the 75th anniversary is a significant milestone for the world’s biggest, and by far, the most crucial deliberative organisation. “In the last 75 years, the United Nations has served as a platform for the nations of the world to come together under one roof and dream and work together towards a better future for humankind,” he said.
He said that it is commendable that the Department of Post has been a salient record-keeper of India’s engagement with the UN, with their carefully curated stamps on various occasions in the past as well, including on UN’s 9th, 40th and 50th anniversaries.
“India-UN Women ‘He or She’ series of stamps were released in 2016, highlighting solidarity for gender equality. The United Nations Postal Administration have also released stamps on themes that now resonate beyond India and Indians – such as the International Day of Non-Violence in 2009, the International Day of Yoga in 2017, Deepawali Stamps in 2018, as well as for Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th Birth Anniversary Stamp which was released last year,” he added.
He said that as India looks forward to beginning its eighth term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council, beginning January 2020, “it is important that at this historic juncture of the 75-year long journey of the UN, we recommit ourselves to join hands and work with vigour and dedication to bring the goals and objectives of the UN closer to the aspirations of its member states, and more importantly to the aspirations of their peoples. Let us work together to make this, one United Nations that we have, the best possible United Nations there can be.”
India’s Postal department had previously released similar such commemorative postage stamps on UN’s 9th, 40th and 50th Anniversaries in 1954, 1985 and 1995 respectively.
Also present on the occasion were Secretary West Vikas Swarup, Secretary (Posts), Department of Post and virtually Chief of UN Postal administration, heads of 22 UN agencies in India, India’s permanent representatives and envoys from New York, Paris, Geneva, Vienna, Rome, Bangkok and Nairobi.
-ARK
