Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu has expressed serious concern over growing disconnect in the present world that is highly ‘inter-connected’ like never before and called for intensified collective global effort to address basic problems like poverty and inequality. He asserted that India is seeking a new world order and action based on the country’s ancient wisdom and values that advocated harmonious existence and common good. He outlined India’s vision for resolving current global challenges while speaking to the Ambassadors of different countries and students in Panama City on May 10, 2018 on the theme ‘In search of a more Representative and Relevant World Order’.Shri Naidu noted that technological and scientific advances and expansion of knowledge have thrown up new challenges like cyber security, terrorism, nuclear and chemical warfare etc., threatening human existence. Elaborating further on contemporary issues seeking solutions, he said “Corruption, discrimination, exploitation, violence and violation of basic human rights continue to erode social fabric across the world. These evils and perceptions of exploitation and failure of established governance systems lead to unrest, anger, rebellion and extremism. The sooner we effectively address these issues, the better will be our collective feature”.
Quoting extensively the ancient Indian sages and Vedas, Shri Naidu said India always firmly believed in peaceful and harmonious co-existence including with the nature and these core principles hold the key for resolving current global challenges through collective action for shared benefits. He quoted from ‘Prithvi Suktam’ which said “May out interactions among ourselves and Mother Earth be harmonious” and also referred to the Vedas to highlight the message “Let peace flow over the whole universe”.The Vice President said “In the world order we want, the power and responsibilities are shared, opinions and voices are respected and wealth and earth’s resources are shared”. Shri Naidu stressed that no country or group of countries should influence or control global decision making and this warranted immediate reform of the United Nations system to ensure more representative decision making on major global issues.Shri Naidu said “India seeks balanced pursuit of national interests while also upholding the broader duties and values mandated by our membership of the comity of nations which shall form the core of the new and reformed World Order we all must establish”.Ambassadors of about 40 countries to Panama later interacted with Shri Naidu and appreciated the major initiatives and their implementation by the central government and the fast growing Indian economy. Later in the day, Shri Naidu arrived in the Peruvian capital of Lima after visiting Guatemala and Panama for two days each.