In his address to the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Saturday, September 27, 2025, India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar delivered a wide-ranging speech addressing critical global issues. His address focused on the urgent need for UN reforms, the pervasive threat of terrorism, the risks stemming from trade volatility, and India's growing role on the international stage.
Jaishankar stated that the UN is "gridlocked" due to conflicts, resource limitations, and terrorism, which diminishes its ability to find common ground and undermines faith in multilateralism. He asserted that resistance to reform is a core reason for the erosion of the UN's credibility. He advocated for correcting historical injustices against Africa within the UN system and expanding both permanent and non-permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), signaling India's readiness to take on greater responsibilities.
Without explicitly naming Pakistan, Jaishankar strongly condemned it as "an epicenter of global terrorism". He pointed out that the UN's lists of designated terrorists are filled with its nationals. He cited the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam in April 2025, where innocent tourists were killed, as an example of cross-border terrorism. Jaishankar affirmed India's right to defend its citizens against terrorism and to bring the perpetrators to justice. He called for the international community to unequivocally condemn nations that employ terrorism as a state policy, maintain terror hubs, and publicly glorify terrorists. He stressed the necessity of cutting off funding for terrorism, imposing sanctions on prominent terrorists, and applying relentless pressure on the entire terrorism ecosystem. He cautioned that nations that condone terror sponsors will eventually face repercussions.
On the economic front, Jaishankar highlighted the challenges of tariff volatility and uncertain market access. He noted that "de-risking" is becoming a compulsion for countries facing these issues, pushing them to diversify supply sources and avoid over-dependence on specific markets. He criticized trade practices that distort global rules and create over-dependence, exposing the world to leveraging.
Furthermore, Jaishankar touched upon other pressing global issues, including the conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, the slow progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and challenges related to energy and food security. He called on nations capable of engaging all parties in the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza to intensify their efforts to find solutions and restore peace.
Jaishankar presented three guiding concepts for India's engagement with the world: Atmanirbharta (self-reliance), Atmaraksha (self-defense), and Atma Vishwas (self-confidence). He stated that India, referred to as "Bharat" in his address, will maintain its freedom of choice and serve as a voice for the Global South. He highlighted India's role in assisting neighbors during natural disasters, such as the earthquakes in Afghanistan and Myanmar, and its contributions to global stability through efforts in UN peacekeeping, combating piracy, and promoting digitization. He emphasized that international cooperation must prevail to ensure that prosperity can flourish even amidst turbulence.
