India stands firm in upholding international rules-based order: Rajnath

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday said that India stands firm in upholding the "rules-based order" of the world even as some nations "violate and undermine" international rules.

Addressing a gathering at the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs Conclave, which India is hosting for the first time, Singh argued that India also advocates for the reformation of "outdated international structures".

"Some nations are openly violating the international rules, some are trying to undermine it, while some want to create their own rules and dominate the next century. India, while advocating for the reformation of outdated international structures, stands strong in upholding the international rules-based order," Singh said.

 

The Union Minister said that thousands of Indians are committed to the idea of peacekeeping under the UN flag since it remains an article of faith and not merely an act of choice.

"For India, this is not just a talking point. Thousands of Indians serve for the cause of peace under the UN flag. Peacekeeping, for India, has never been an act of choice, but an article of faith. From the very dawn of our independence, India has stood firm with the United Nations in its mission to maintain international peace and security," the Defence Minister said.

Stating that the UNTCC Chiefs Conclave reaffirms the endeavour to uphold peace and human dignity, Singh discussed the importance of the UN Charter, which was created in the aftermath of the devastation witnessed during the Second World War.

"The conclave is a reaffirmation of our collective endeavour to uphold peace, stability and human dignity that grounds the charter of the United Nations. At the outset, I would like to state that the creation of the UN charter after the devastation of the Second World War was a significant development," he added.

Singh further argued that India was a founding signatory of the UN Charter, as it reflected the country's philosophy of 'Vasudhev Kutumbhkam'.

"Nations realised that for the development, growth and prosperity, peace is essential. India was a founding signatory of the UN charter. It reflected India's own philosophy of 'Vasudhev Kutumbhkam', which teaches us that the world is one family," he said.