Pitroda calls for global constitution

New York: The world needs a new global constitution and international institutions governing Artificial Intelligence, equality and climate action, senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda has said, warning that the international order created after the Second World War is now obsolete.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, Pitroda said the world was no longer suited to domination by one country. It should instead recognise multiple centres of power and respond collectively to challenges that transcend national borders.

“I think we need a new design of the world. World was last designed after World War II,” he said.

“That design gave birth to UN, World Bank, IMF, WTO, WHO, ultimately NATO. That design doesn’t work anymore.”

Pitroda said competition between the United States and China had consumed the global debate, even as the nature of power and international relations had changed.

“Today we are fighting for the global power, either US or China. There is confrontation between China and US, but nobody says, wait a minute, you don’t need one global power anymore,” he said.

“It is a networked world. We need a new design of the world where there will not be one global power. There’ll be multiple global powers.”

Pitroda said the international community had failed to create major global bodies capable of addressing emerging challenges. He specifically called for institutions focused on artificial intelligence and equity.

“In 80 years, we have not created one single new global institution of the kind of UN,” he said. “We need an institution on AI. Do we need an institution on equality, equity? No, no one talks about all these things.”

Pitroda said the absence of serious discussion about redesigning the global order had left the world at a critical juncture.

“World is in trouble, world is at crossroads because the design that we created 80 years ago is obsolete and no one is talking about a new design,” he said. “There’s no discussion, there is no dialogue, there’s no platform.”

Pitroda proposed a global constitution based on a limited set of shared principles. Countries, he said, could begin by agreeing on human development, climate action, peaceful resolution of conflicts, non-violence, equality and the role of women.

“I personally believe we need global constitution. Why can’t we agree on some fundamental issues like human development, climate control, you know, how to settle war, peace, non-violence, equality, equity, women’s role?” he said.

“If we agree on 20 issues, that’s the beginning of a global constitution, that everybody will follow that.”

Pitroda argued that national borders had become less relevant to many modern challenges, but political leaders lacked the will to reform the system.

“Because borders don’t make sense anymore, but there is no political will to redesign the world,” he said.

He predicted that such reform would eventually take place, although it could require another quarter-century. Artificial intelligence (AI), he said, provided a rare opening to begin that transformation.

“It’ll come. It’s a matter of time. It may be 25 years. But the time is now,” Pitroda said.

“According to me, AI gives us a unique opportunity to redesign the world. AI is a fantastic opportunity and tool. And we got to really focus on that.”

Pitroda also called for a global development strategy for Africa, linking economic deprivation there with future migration pressures.

“We need a global plan for Africa’s development. We need almost a Marshall plan for Africa because their population is going to be three billion,” he said.

IANS