United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp, has lauded India’s growing influence on the world stage, describing it as a nation that bridges innovation, development, and peacekeeping while embodying the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world as one family.
Speaking to ANI, Sharp said India plays an “absolutely critical” role in both the geopolitical and developmental spheres. “India is a country that lands on the moon and is also developing new ways to lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty—solutions highly relevant to the Global South,” he noted.
Sharp praised India’s strides in renewable energy and food security, calling them areas where India is innovating “like perhaps no other country at the current moment.” He also stressed the close cooperation between India and the UN in counterterrorism measures.
“We need the kind of leadership that India brings. We need Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, that spirit of the world as one family,” he said.
Highlighting India’s longstanding role in global peacekeeping, Sharp recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement that India remains committed to being a “force for peace.” India, he pointed out, is the largest contributor of troops—both armed and civilian—to UN peacekeeping operations since their inception.
He also cited External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks at the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, underscoring the interdependence of peace and development. “You cannot have peace without development, and you cannot have development without peace,” Sharp quoted, praising Jaishankar’s call for climate justice, equity, and an end to global double standards.
Sharp concluded that India’s dual focus on innovation and inclusivity, alongside its advocacy for the Global South, makes it indispensable to addressing today’s pressing global challenges.
