India joins Partners for Multilateralism (P4M) initiative

• Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar co-chaired the first-ever ‘Partners for Multilateralism, International Law, Peace & Prosperity (P4M)’  Summit held on the margins of the high-level 81st session of the UN General Assembly on September 21.

• The European Union, together with co-sponsors Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Canada, India and Kenya, launched the P4M initiative.

• As geopolitical tensions, conflicts, and emerging global challenges such as climate change and artificial intelligence are increasing pressure on the multilateral institutions, the P4M summit sought to bring together a diverse group of countries from different regions with the aim of defending and strengthening the multilateral system and promoting peace and inclusive prosperity, by fostering a debate at the highest political level.

• The signatories of the declaration reaffirmed that the multilateral system founded on the United Nations Charter remains indispensable, but that it should be renewed and reformed to be more effective, representative, inclusive and fit for purpose.

• Leaders will work together to reform and strengthen multilateral institutions to ensure that they are better able to prevent conflict, respond to crises, deliver sustainable development, promote fair trade, protect human rights and the rule of law, and address existing and emerging global challenges.

• They also underlined their commitment to international law and to the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition of the threat or use of force as well as the importance of international humanitarian law and the promotion and protection of fundamental freedoms for all.