Mahatma Gandhi was described as an “uncompromising advocate for peaceful coexistence” by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who also said Gandhi’s bust there will serve as a reminder of the principles he supported.
The UN Secretary-General took to Twitter, Guterres said, “Mahatma Gandhi was an uncompromising advocate for peaceful co-existence, non-discrimination, and pluralism. The new installation located at @UN Headquarters will serve as a reminder of the values Gandhi upheld, and to which we must remain committed.”
A bust of Mahatma Gandhi was revealed earlier on Wednesday by S Jaishankar, the minister of external affairs, at the UN headquarters in New York.
According to a press release from India’s Permanent Mission to the UN, Secretary General of the UN Antonio Guterres, President of the 77th UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi, and Permanent Representative Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj joined the EAM on the occasion and paid floral tributes at the bust of Mahatma Gandhi.
On the occasion, the bhajan “Vaishnav jan to,” a favourite of Mahatma Gandhi, was recited.
The first statue of Mahatma Gandhi to be permanently positioned at the North Lawn Gardens of the United Nations is the bust of Gandhi, a gift from India.
Ram Vanji Sutar, who created the Statue of Unity, is also the sculptor of the bust.
The Statue of Unity, the highest statue in the world at 182 metres, is situated close to Kevadia in the Indian state of Gujarat. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, an Indian leader, and advocate for independence who served as independent India’s first deputy prime minister and home minister and was a supporter of Mahatma Gandhi is portrayed in it.
High-ranking representatives of the United Nations Security Council members, including newly elected members and senior UN officials, also attended the event, the announcement stated.
Jaishankar will preside over the UN Security Council sessions in New York on December 14 and 15, 2022.
For the month of December 2022, India will chair the United Nations Security Council.
On December 14–15, Jaishankar will preside over two High-Level Ministerial signature events of India’s current UN Security Council Presidency. According to a press release from the External Affairs Ministry, the High-Level Ministerial Open Debate on December 14 will focus on “New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism” (NORMS).
“Global Approach to Counter Terrorism – Challenges and Way Forward” is the topic of the High-Level Briefing on December 15. Throughout India’s current term at the UN Security Council, both of these issues have been top priorities for the country.
The Open Debate on Reformed Multilateralism’s main goal is to persuade all of its participants to carefully consider the long-standing UN Security Council changes as well as other international governance system improvements that are required.
The high-level briefing on counterterrorism will also aim to advance work on the Delhi Declaration adopted during the Special Meeting of the Counter-Terrorism Committee held in Mumbai and New Delhi in October, as well as to foster consensus among Council Members on the fundamentals of a global counter-terror architecture.
A “Group of Friends for Accountability for Crimes against Peacekeepers” will also be established by Jaishankar, who will also meet with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. EAM S Jaishankar will also organise a luncheon featuring millets for the UN Secretary-General and UNSC member states, as well as a special picture exhibition showcasing India’s effort on the “International Year of Millets 2023.”
