India's UN Envoy Champions Africa's Development at General Assembly

India's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Yojna Patel, reaffirmed India's commitment to Africa, outlining steps to bolster development and security. Addressing a UN General Assembly meeting, she emphasized partnerships, financial support, and regional integration while calling for Africa's greater representation in the UN Security Council.

In a fervent address at the UN General Assembly's plenary meeting on 'Partnerships for Africa,' India's Deputy Permanent Representative, Ambassador Yojna Patel, emphasized New Delhi's firm support for Africa's sustainable development. Patel highlighted India's strategic measures to bolster ties with the continent on multiple fronts.

Patel underscored Africa's historical struggles with colonialism, much like other regions in the Global South, and detailed present-day adversities, including economic challenges amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic, conflicts, and climate change. She stressed the urgent need for international collaboration to address de-risking African economies due to soaring external debts.

In identifying four pivotal pillars for Africa's progress, Patel included steps to ensure peace and counterterrorism, financial reforms with a focus on transparency, and fostering regional integration to enhance intra-African trade. She also reiterated India's call for Africa's representation on the UN Security Council, terming its longstanding exclusion a historical injustice.

(With inputs from agencies.)