World
New UNGA president pledges to continue Security Council reform process
By Arul Louis
United Nations: Mogens Lykketoft, who took over Tuesday as the president of the General Assembly, pledged to continue the Security Council reform efforts carried out by his predecessor Sam Kahamba Kutesa, who broke through the first major hurdle by having a negotiating document accepted by the Assembly.
Speaking to reporters after the inauguration of his presidency, Lykketoft, who was the speaker of Denmark’s parliament, said, “On Security Council reform, I will follow the track laid out by my predecessor Sam Kutesa and the work done by the Jamaican Ambassador Courtenay Rattray, which was rolled over yesterday to this General Assembly session.”
While giving an assurance that he will not stake out a specific position or move it in a particular direction, he said, “I will certainly try to help the process that started in the 69th session will continue on the basis of the work done there.”
Last month after his election as Assembly president, Lykketoft visited New Delhi and met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who urged him to press ahead with the Council reform process.
In the final hours of his presidency Monday, Kutesa had the Assembly adopt by consensus his decision that included a negotiating text that would for the first time form the basis of future discussions on Council reforms that was mandated by a summit of world leaders in 2005.
The reform process had been crippled by the absence of a framework text for negotiating reforms because of concerted opposition from China, Pakistan and a group of countries led by Italy. India’s efforts to get a permanent seat on the Council hinged on the negotiations proceeding with a basic document and this was achieved by Kutesa with help from Rattray, whom he appointed to head the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) on the reform process.
Lykketoft, however, veered off from the position taken by Kutesa and India’s Permanent Representative Asoke Kumar Mukerji that the Security Council as it was no composed was failing in its primary mandate of maintaining peace and security and needed to be reformed to become effective.
“It is obvious that at present that there are important issues which are not handled by the Security Council,” Lykketoft said. “We cannot know if any kind of reform in the composition would make that different.”
He added, “But what we can say not predicting the specific outcome-that is not my job to do-but certainly many years ago already the UN decided that we should have the reform so that the Security Council would reflect much better the realities of the 21st Century.”
The election of the successor to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will be the major task for the Assembly’s 70th session. Lykketoft promised that in a break from the past it would be conducted openly and transparently.
The candidates will be presented to the members in a timely fashion and they will interact with the UN members, he said. “This will something happening for the first time in the history of the united nations and I see that as a major step forward.”
So far, Secretary Generals picked by the five permanent members of the Council in backroom deals and the election by the Assembly was more of a formality.
Lykketoft is an economist who has been a minister and the leader of Denmark’s Social Democrat Party.
National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.