COMMUNITY OF DEMOCRACIES TENTH MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE

DEMOCRACY AND RESILIENCE: SHARED GOALS

INDIA STATEMENT

By

H.E. Mrs. Reenat Sandhu

Secretary (West), Ministry of External Affairs

22 September 2021

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to begin by thanking H.E. Mr. Bogdan Aurescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania, for convening the 10^th meeting of the Community of Democracies.

2. As one of the founding members and as the world’s largest democracy with well-established democratic institutions and practices, India is proud of its association with the Community of Democracies. We last met in June 2020, when we commemorated the 20th Anniversary of the Warsaw Declaration.

Excellencies,

3. Recognizing the close link between development and democracy, India has pursued inclusive and sustainable development to ensure a better life for our citizens. As part of our development agenda, we have undertaken targeted policy measures to empower the most vulnerable segments of our society.

4. Our commitment to democratic principles has acquired even more salience as we battle the COVID-19 pandemic. For a large and developing country like India, democracy and resilience go hand in hand as we face the pandemic and other defining challenges of our day.

5. We have made our fight against the pandemic a genuine peoples’ movement, forged by democratic principles, discipline and decisive leadership. The focus has been on welfare of the most vulnerable, and an inclusive, human-centric vision.

6. This is the same approach we have adopted beyond our borders, as we continue to extend a helping hand to our partners.We have supplied medicines and medical supplies to over 150 partner countries, and are playing our part in global efforts to develop and produce vaccines, and to address vaccine inequity.

7. The post-COVID world demands a new vision of globalization, based on inclusiveness, fairness, equality, and humanity – a vision that is at the heart of India’s civilisational ethos of viewing the world as one family.

8. Unfortunately, the pandemic is not the only challenge confronting us. As the world fights the COVID-19 virus, we also need to fight the ‘infodemic’ of false information and fake news being used to sow hatred among communities and countries, and weaken democracies.

9. Terrorism is an existential threat to democracy. Those who practice and harbour terror cannot respect democratic values or institutions. Pluralism, diversity, human rights and freedoms are alien values to those who preach terror and radicalisation. As a Community of Democracies we must stand resolutely against terrorism and its perpetrators.

10. Over the past month, we have witnessed dramatic changes in Afghanistan. There has been a transition of power without negotiation and in a non-inclusive manner, which raises questions on its acceptability.  It is important that the new government in Afghanistan is broad-based and inclusive, representing all sections of Afghan society, including women and minorities.

11. Finally, we must remember that democratic governance is important not only at national or local levels, but equally on the global stage. While we as a group are united by the practice of democratic governance at home, in the larger international arena, the global governance architecture has elements of non-inclusiveness and less than fully participatory institutions. Contemporary institutions must reflect the voices of today, and not the architecture of a bygone era. What we need is a reformed multilateralism which reflect contemporary realities and is fit for purpose to address today's challenges. The change must begin here at the United Nations.

12. We hope that our common ideals of democratic inclusiveness and a level playing field will guide members of this community in supporting reform of the international governance system. This is the spirit in which India co-founded the UN Democracy Fund, which supports projects that strengthen the voice of civil society, promote human rights, and encourage the participation of all groups in democratic processes. India is among the largest contributors to the Fund.

13. I take this opportunity to reaffirm India's commitment to work with our partners in the Community of Democracies, by sharing our experiences and  by identifying best practices to strengthen our democratic institutions.

Thank you.