New York. Seven countries including India and the European Union have launched the 'Partners for Multilateralism' (P4M) initiative during the high-level week of the United Nations General Assembly. The first P4M summit held in New York emphasized the need to strengthen the multilateral system and reform global institutions. Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar co-chaired this conference.
Initial co-sponsors of the P4M include India, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, Kenya and the European Union. This meeting was organized on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
What is the objective of P4M initiative?
The objective of P4M is to strengthen the multilateral system by bringing countries from different regions and continents on one platform. Under this, emphasis has been laid on promoting respect for international law, global peace and inclusive prosperity.
In the joint declaration issued after the conference, it was said that the world is currently going through major changes. Increasing polarization, expansion of conflicts, violations of international law, protectionism, politics of pressure and threats of use of force were described as challenges to global peace and security.
Need for change in multilateral system according to today's world
The P4M declaration said that the multilateral system based on the UN Charter is still necessary, but it needs to be adapted to today's more complex, interconnected and multipolar world.
The declaration emphasized reforms to make multilateral institutions more effective, representative and inclusive. Also, the need for participation of more countries in global institutions and making the decision process more effective was underlined.
Jaishankar said – global system is under pressure
Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said that the current global system is going through a period of pressure and in such a time the role of multilateralism should be strengthened. He stressed the need for more participatory deliberations and transparent decision making.
Jaishankar also mentioned global challenges related to fuel, food, fertilizers and finance. He called for the need to develop new frameworks and safeguards to deal with the risks arising from emerging technologies.
Emphasis on diversity in supply chain
The External Affairs Minister also stressed the need to diversify global supply chains. He said that in case of disruption in any one important route or region, it does not have a major impact on the entire global economy, for this it is necessary to make the supply chain more strong and diverse.
Commitment to international law and sovereign equality
The P4M joint declaration reiterated commitment to the principles of international law, sovereign equality, territorial integrity and peaceful resolution of disputes.
The declaration also called for respect for international humanitarian law and human rights, along with a prohibition on the use of force or the threat of force.
Cooperation on a range of issues, from AI to climate
The P4M declaration called for broader international cooperation on issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, global health and development finance.
Along with this, the need to make global supply chains stronger and more diverse and to improve the international trade and financial system was also emphasized.
UN reform made an important issue
Reform of the United Nations has also been made a key issue in the P4M initiative. The co-sponsoring countries committed to working together to strengthen multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, and make them more capable of addressing current global challenges.
The declaration supports reform of the United Nations through initiatives such as UN80.
Antonio Costa said – No country can solve global challenges alone
European Council President Antonio Costa said after the conference that there is a shared understanding among countries from different continents and backgrounds that current global challenges cannot be solved by any one country alone.
He said the P4M will serve as a platform to translate shared principles into concrete action.
P4M will be open to other countries also
P4M co-sponsors have called for the initiative to be open to countries in other regions of the world. It was also agreed to create a mechanism for coordination between senior officials and identify priority areas of cooperation.
India's participation in P4M comes at a time when issues related to multilateral system reform, global peace, economic instability, climate change, emerging technology and international law remain the major focus of discussion in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
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