India saw remarkable transformation in 10 yrs: UNGA chief

India has experienced 'remarkable transformation' in the last decade, United Nations General Assembly President Philemon Yang has said, underlining that his upcoming visit to the country will give him an opportunity to see how digital and technological innovation has 'fuelled this change'.

Yang will visit India from February 4 to 8, his first official visit to the country as President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly.

"As the world's largest democracy, the fifth-largest economy and home to one-fifth of humanity, India is an important member of the United Nations," Yang told PTI in an exclusive interview ahead of his trip.

Responding to a question on the visit's focus, Yang said he looks forward to 'understanding, more deeply, India's priorities and vision for the future of multilateralism'.

During the visit, he will engage with Indian leadership, including President Droupadi Murmu and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.

Recalling that he had visited India in 2013 as Prime Minister of Cameroon, Yang said that since then, India has experienced a 'remarkable transformation' and he expects the visit to give him the 'opportunity to see how digital and technological innovation has fuelled this change, all the way to the grassroots level.

"The visit will also serve to highlight the importance of information sharing and capacity building in advancing sustainable development in the Global South. India has in many respects led the way through its South-South cooperation," Yang said in the written interview.

Yang said his message 'to the people of India, and particularly to the young people of India, is one of confidence and ambition. Confidence in the extraordinary work achieved and ambition in that there is always more work to do, collectively, to make our world a better place.

'For that reason, I would like to encourage them to continue spearheading efforts in harnessing innovation while also celebrating their rich culture and heritage.

'As the world's largest population, the people of India have a huge stake in the work of the United Nations, in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and in ensuring that -indeed- no one is left behind. I therefore look forward to seeing India's continued engagement and leadership within the United Nations,' Yang said.

Yang began his year-long tenure as President of the 193-member General Assembly in September last year at the commencement of the 79th UNGA session.

As PGA, his priorities include peace and security in Africa, combatting illicit use of small arms and light weapons, eliminating child labour, and turbocharging the SDGs, through digitalisation.

Given his focus on digitalisation and how it can advance SDGs, Yang said he is particularly keen to see how India is using digital technology to improve the lives of its people, especially in the health sector.

In this connection, Yang said he will be visiting a District Vaccine Store in Gautam Buddha Nagar in Uttar Pradesh and meet with health workers to understand the role of some of these digital public infrastructure (DPI) tools.

"I am told the Co-WIN platform was instrumental in delivering two billion doses to India during the COVID-19 pandemic (I have heard it being referred to as the 'digital backbone' of the vaccination programme in response to the pandemic)."

Yang also plans to visit the Infosys Campus and the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru and other sites in Delhi and Bengaluru.

When asked to highlight three areas where India's contributions to the multilateral system stand out, Yang listed India's contribution to peacekeeping, efforts as a first responder in numerous humanitarian emergencies and being a strong voice of the Global South.

Yang said that India's most significant contribution to the UN has been to its peacekeeping operations, both in terms of financial and human resources.

With more than 290,000 Indians having served in 49 of the 71 UN peacekeeping missions established around the world since 1948, India's contribution to multilateral efforts towards peace and security is remarkable.

He further said that India has acted as a first responder in numerous humanitarian emergencies within its region and has contributed humanitarian aid, whether in the form of food grains or medical supplies, to countries and regions devastated by war and natural disasters.

"Finally, India's consistent efforts to defend and advance the voice of the Global South, including in other multilateral forums, particularly on urgent issues like mobilising financing for sustainable development and advocating for additional climate finance for developing countries, have stood out for their timeliness and sincerity," Yang said.

"It is my hope that India will continue to advance the interests of the Global South," he said.

India has rapidly emerged as a critical enabler of South-South Cooperation through initiatives like the India-UN Development Partnership Fund which supports sustainable development projects in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

"For all of these reasons, I convey my deep appreciation for the longstanding and steadfast commitment that India has displayed towards multilateralism, and I am confident that this will continue in the future," Yang said.

Yang, as UNGA President, presided over the adoption of the Pact of Future in September last year.

Given his focus on the Pact and its roadmap, Yang said that as General Assembly President, his role is to support the implementation efforts of the Pact.

"I intend to do this by facilitating inclusive dialogue, creating opportunities for Member States to engage substantively in the implementation of the Pact, and galvanising collective efforts to advance its objectives."

When asked what role he envisages for India in this, Yang said India is a strong voice of the Global South, a country that has made great strides at the national level, including on artificial intelligence which is one of the topical areas of the Pact.

"It is for this reason that I think that India, like other countries from the Global South, must not just take an active role in these discussions, but should also lead on national implementation of the Pact's commitments," he said.

-- By Yoshita Singh