Addressing the 78^th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar spoke in strong terms of a new, more “equitable and democratic” world order emerging, one that was more reflective of diverse interests. He linked these diverse interests to India’s G-20 presidency, saying that “the days when a few nations set the agenda” were over.

While the rules-based order and U.N. Charter were invoked in deliberations, it was still a few nations that shaped the agenda and sought to set the norms, Mr. Jaishankar told the General Assembly in New York on September 26 morning.

“A fair, equitable and democratic order will surely emerge, once we all put our minds to it. And for a start, that means ensuring that rule makers do not subjugate rule takers,” he said, adding that “vaccine apartheid” should never be allowed to recur and climate action must address historical responsibilities (i.e., the idea that wealthy countries must significantly finance the response to climate change).