At UNGA, EAM Jaishankar calls for peace, warns India will defend itself against terrorism

United Nations: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar used his UN General Assembly address to make a broad case for peace, but with a warning: India would defend itself against terrorism, and poorer nations should not bear the costs of wars and decisions in which they have little say.

The speech moved from conflicts in the Gulf and Ukraine to food and energy security, development, artificial intelligence and reform of global institutions. Running through it was a single argument. Peace depends on stability and fair access to resources as much as it does on ending wars.

EAM Jaishankar’s sharpest words were reserved for an unnamed country he called a “serial practitioner of terrorism”. He accused it of misrepresenting facts before the assembly a day earlier and said arguments had been made to normalise terrorism and avoid its consequences.

“Our right to defend ourselves against terrorism, will be exercised,” he said. He did not name the country or specify what action India might take. The warning made clear, however, that he regarded cross-border terrorism as incompatible with normal relations.

In his speech, Jaishankar said conflicts were slowing development, while countries far from the fighting were suffering consequences through no fault of their own. Those most affected often had the least say, he told the assembly.

Calling for restraint and de-escalation in the Gulf, where hostilities had worsened an already difficult situation, the top Indian diplomat said the targeting of ships and seafarers in international waterways was unacceptable. India wanted civilians protected and energy and commerce to keep moving.

EAM Jaishankar backed ongoing peace efforts in Ukraine and offered Indian help to ease food and energy pressures, while on the Middle East, he reiterated India’s support for a two-state solution. India is providing humanitarian assistance to Palestinians.

These positions gave practical meaning to his appeal for peace. They also reflected India’s exposure to disruptions in shipping, grain and energy supplies. Jaishankar said Indian seafarers were among those killed in attacks across waters stretching from the Gulf and Red Sea to the Black Sea.

For developing countries, he described an overlapping “4F crisis” involving food, fuel, fertiliser and finance. Climate conditions, fertiliser shortages and impediments to grain movements added to the strain. He argued that restricted market access and non-market practices were also making it harder for the Global South to industrialise.

EAM Jaishankar criticised what he called “a weaponization of everything”. Finance, supply chains, technology, resources and connectivity had become points of pressure, he said. Countries were reducing risks and diversifying their ties, but the result was a loss of trust.

His answer was to present India as both an example and a partner. He cited its digital public infrastructure and delivery of basic services at home, alongside 600 major development projects in 78 countries. The projects covered fields including infrastructure, agriculture, information technology and training.

That section of the speech served a diplomatic purpose. Jaishankar’s case for a greater voice for the Global South rested partly on what India said it was already doing for other nations. He pointed to climate initiatives, emergency medical shipments and assistance after natural disasters, with Africa and small island developing states among India’s preferred partners.

He made a similar argument about artificial intelligence. Each country should be able to develop models and choose how to use them in line with its own priorities, he said. India intended to make AI part of its partnerships with the Global South, while remaining alert to the technology’s potential to sharpen bias.

EAM concluded his address where those themes met: who gets to shape the rules of a changing world. “The post-1945 order is giving way to new realities,” he said and called for broader consultation and more transparent decisions, arguing that large parts of humanity could no longer be left out.

The General Debate gives UN members an annual platform to set out their priorities. EAM Jaishankar used his turn to connect India’s security concerns with its wider claim that peace and development require a more inclusive international order.

IANS