Published 09:21 IST, November 8th 2019
PM Modi: The world has failed to develop the UN as an institution
PM Modi held an on-stage discussion with Ray Dalio at Saudi Arabia's FII event and presented his views on modern-day conflicts and the ways to resolve them
PM Modi delivered a keynote address at Saudi Arabia's flagship annual investor meeting. Ray Dalio, the Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Bridgewater Associates conducted an on-stage discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) event, which was attended by high profile participants from the business world and political leaders from different countries. During the interview, Ray Dalio questioned PM Modi on the resolution of modern-day conflicts.
'Unfortunately, we failed to develop the UN as an institution'
PM Modi responded to Dalio's on present-day conflicts of trade, capital, and geopolitical conflicts, and said that the reasons for conflict between countries has increased. He further gave the examples of how water and even space have become reasons for conflict too. He also spoke about the United Nations form it's formation and how the world had failed to develop it as an institution.
"When the UN was formed, it came as an institution which would act as a catalytic agent in conflict resolution. But unfortunately we failed to develop UN as an instituton. Few decades later it was felt that the institution will undergo chane and bring reforms,but that did not happen," the Prime Minister said.
The Prime Minister also said the world needs to come together to make sure that the UN contributes to the greater good. He further stated that people have used the UN as a tool rather than an institution.
"If we satisfy ourselves with the UN's role only during an epidemic or calamity, then it is not possible to unite the world. What is also unfortunate is that powerful people have taken to forming the UN as an instrument instead of an institution because of which the UN failed to provide a neutral, global, rule-based contribution," he said.
'We collectively should stand against the violation of rules'
The Prime Minister also expressed his views on resolving conflicts and pressed that rules and regulations must be followed to avoid conflicts.
In my opinion, some people think highly of themselves, that they don't believe in law, whereas some people are buried under the burden of the law. If we want to run the world fairly, we must follow the rules. The universe also works because every element like the sun obeys its rules, moon follows its rules, earth follows its rules, they don't break the rules. Similarly, countries must follow rules and we collectively should stand against the violation of rules. Only then can we isolate such powers and bring them to the correct path.
Updated 12:49 IST, November 8th 2019