Indian envoy at UN says New Delhi's approach rooted in One Earth

UNITED NATION: As India prepares to host the G20 Summit, its envoy at the UN has said New Delhi's approach to global challenges has been rooted in the idea of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future' and the same principle guides its collaboration within the United Nations and underscores its perspective on the remarkable scientific achievement of moon landing.

The remarks by India's Permanent Representative at the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj came as she briefed UN reporters here on the successful soft-landing of India's Chandrayaan-3 on the lunar south pole.

"In a few days... India will host the G20 Summit in New Delhi...Our approach to global challenges has been rooted in the idea of 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'. This same principle guides our collaboration within the United Nations and underscores our perspective on the remarkable scientific achievement of today's moon landing,” Kamboj said Wednesday.

Kamboj quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said after the Chandrayaan-3 lunar landing that India's successful moon mission is not India's alone. Modi said that this is the year in which the world is witnessing India's G20 presidency.

"Our approach of One Earth, One Family, One Future is resonating across the globe. This human-centric approach that we represent has been welcomed universally. Our moon mission is also based on the same human-centric approach. Therefore this success belongs to all of humanity, and it will help moon missions by other countries in the future.” India scripted history with the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon, joining an elite and small space club of nations that have landed rovers on the moon. India became the first country in the world to land a space probe on the lunar south pole and only the fourth nation after the US, China and the erstwhile Soviet Union to land a rover on the moon's surface.

India assumed the year-long presidency of the G20 on December 1, 2022, and has hosted over 200 meetings and related events in cities across its length and breadth that will culminate in a global Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10 to be attended by over 40 Heads of State, Heads of Government and international organisations.

US President Joe Biden will travel to New Delhi from September 7-10 to attend the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The White House said that while in New Delhi, Biden will commend Prime Minister Modi’s leadership of the G20 and reaffirm the US commitment to the G20 as the premier forum of economic cooperation, including by hosting it in 2026.

Modi watched the historic lunar landing from Johannesburg, where he is currently attending the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Summit. He said even though he was at the Summit, his mind was also focused on Chandrayaan 3 like every other citizen.

Underlining the stellar work done by scientists and researchers of the “truly world-class" Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Kamboj said ISRO is involved in science, engineering and technology to harvest the benefit of outer space for India and mankind.

"ISRO has launched many rockets and satellites...ISRO's own lunar and interplanetary missions, including the latest Chandrayaan-3, along with other scientific projects, encourage and promote science education, apart from providing valuable data to the scientific community, which in turn enriches science." Highlighting another "very interesting fact", Kamboj, India's first woman Permanent Representative at the UN, said that a “very significant" number of scientists who worked on India's moon mission Chandrayaan-3 are women, "very much in sync with India's model of women-led growth and development".

This also syncs "beautifully" with Sustainable Development Goal 5 of gender equity. "By aiming for the moon, India has not only reached it, but also set our sights on the limitless possibilities that lie ahead. As the saying goes, "to infinity and beyond”! In response to a question by PTI on how she would characterise the significance of Chandrayaan-3's success not just for India's space programme but global collaboration on the space frontier, Kamboj said "make no mistake, this is a very great day. What really stands out is that India is the first country to land on the south pole of the moon, where many others have not succeeded so far." She added that most significant is the larger message that Prime Minister Modi has emphasised, which is that India has an inbuilt humanity in everything that she does.

"This success belongs to all humanity. This success is dedicated to all humanity" and India's success should spur other countries from the global South to do likewise, she said.

Responding to a question on whether India is planning to seek a resolution from the UN General Assembly or any other UN body to mark this significant milestone in India's history, Kamboj said, "thank you very much for putting that thought in my mind. I will come back to you on this." Kamboj was also asked a question on the expansion of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) grouping, the lunar mission success enhancing the possibility of India becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council as well as Kashmir.

"What I will say is that this is not the moment for these questions. Today's a day of celebration, and we are focusing on India's success and indeed, the success of the whole of humanity," she said. Later in the day, India’s Permanent Mission to the UN hosted a special reception to commemorate the historic lunar landing that was attended by UN envoys, diplomats, personnel and Indian officials working in the UN system.

“This is a tribute to the scientific community of India,” Kamboj said addressing the gathering at the reception, adding that over one thousand scientists worked on this project. She underscored that as the 78th session of the UN General Assembly gets underway next month, “India will always be there as a solid, constructive, caring partner, a voice of reason, a voice of moderation, a bridge builder. Any which way you look at it, you can count on us.”