Our assistance doesn't create indebtedness, India at UNSC

India has always strived to foster global solidarity across the world with its development partnership efforts fully respecting national priorities and ensured that its assistance does not create "indebtedness", in an apparent swipe at China. Addressing the UN Security Council open debate on 'Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Exclusion, Inequality and Conflict' held under the current presidency of Mexico, Minister of State for External Affairs Dr Rajkumar Ranjan Singh  on Tuesday said whether it is with India's neighbours under the "Neighbourhood First" policy or with African partners or with other developing countries, "India has remained and will continue to be a source of strong support to help them build back better and stronger".

Singh further said that international efforts in the maintenance of peace and security need to be inclusive. The process of implementing a peace agreement must run along with the provision of humanitarian and emergency assistance, resumption of economic activity, and the creation of political and administrative institutions that improve governance and include all stakeholders, particularly women and disadvantaged sections. "We also need to avoid politicising humanitarian and developmental assistance in conflict situations. The humanitarian action must be primarily guided by the principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence," he said.

Singh noted that some regional and sub-regional organisations have become more capable of addressing the conflict situations and"The Security Council has the responsibility to support this trend and encourage and enable those regional and sub-regional organisations," he said, adding that India believes the existing framework of cooperation such as the Joint UN-AU Framework for an enhanced partnership in Peace and Security needs to be implemented more proactively. member states have reposed faith increasingly in their capacity, bringing positive synergy to the actions of the UN and Security Council.