Thaindian News

New York, Feb 12 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S M Krishna has said that there is a link between enhancing economic development and the goals of international peace and security.

Addressing a high-level meeting on the linkages between international security and development in the Security Council, hosted by Brazil, Krishna said: “The international community, over the past two decades, has invested a large amount of human and material capital in peacekeeping operations and in peace building initiatives. Our collective experience in dealing with these conflicts shows that without peace, development suffers.”

“At the same time, lack of development and of prospects for economic progress create fertile ground for violence and instability, which further sets back development. Our efforts should therefore focus on promoting development for all by encouraging economic activity and enhancing their livelihood security,” he added.

Noting that India returns to the Security Council after 19 years, Krishna said: “We believe that an effective and efficient Security Council is in our common interest and we will work towards strengthening it.”

“India brings to this table almost sixty years of experience in overcoming many of the challenges of transforming a colonial legacy into a modern dynamic nation of a billion people who are trying to meet their aspirations within a democratic system dedicated to the rule of law,” he added.

He said that the process of implementing a peace agreement should also be “inclusive”.

He said: “Such implementation should include provision of humanitarian and emergency assistance, resumption of activity, and the creation of political and administrative institutions that improve governance and include all stakeholders, particularly the weak and the underprivileged.

Emphasising that the international community needs to ensure a predictable and enhanced flow of resources, Krishna said: “It is instructive to note that the peacekeeping budget of the UN, which is about eight billion US Dollars annually, is more than the combined budgets of UNDP and UNICEF.

“It is obvious that development expenditures need to be enhanced greatly if they are to make a dent on security problems,” he said.

“We also need to ensure that collective security mechanisms intersect with our collective efforts for economic progress to mitigate the causes of persistent insecurity at a global level,” he added. (ANI)