India Positioned As Global Anchor Of Stability, Says NITI Aayog Vice Chair At UN Forum

Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, Suman Bery, addressed the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the United Nations Headquarters on Monday, presenting India as a global "anchor of stability" amid rising geopolitical and economic uncertainty. 

The High-Level Political Forum is the UN’s central platform for reviewing progress on the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s session comes at a time when most countries are grappling with the mid-point review of the SDGs, with concern over lagging progress due to pandemic aftershocks, climate challenges, and geopolitical tensions. 

Peaking during the ministerial segment of the HLPF, Bery emphasised that the world is currently navigating a period of economic uncertainty, during which there is an urgent need for new sources of growth, development models that can be scaled, and dependable international partners, all areas where India is well-positioned to contribute.

"India’s sustained economic growth makes it an anchor of stability for the global community,” Bery said, adding that India's development journey is marked by “scale, speed, and stability,” a credible model for fellow countries in the Global South to follow, reported PTI. 

Bery pointed to India's progress on multiple socio-economic fronts, citing that an estimated 248 million people escaped poverty between 2013–14 and 2022–23, according to the national-level multidimensional poverty index developed by Niti Aayog. 

He emphasised India's commitment to capacity building and South-South cooperation (SSC), which is a collaborative effort among several developing nations in the Global South to share knowledge, technology, and resources, particularly through concessional financing and digital infrastructure support. 

Marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Bery reiterated India’s belief in multilateralism and the UN’s foundational role in fostering global cooperation. However, he also called for a more representative and effective UN system, one that reflects “contemporary realities” and empowers all nations to shape global outcomes. 

India’s pitch at the forum is in line with its broader foreign policy thrust to position itself as a leader in sustainable development, especially for emerging economies. With the world’s largest youth population entering the workforce, Bery said India is focused on ensuring productive futures for its young citizens, aligning employment, education, and innovation priorities with its SDG commitments.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres,  sounded an alarm over the slowing global economy, rising trade tensions, growing inequalities and aid budgets being decimated while military spending soars.

"And mistrust, division and outright conflicts are placing the international problem-solving system under unprecedented strain. We cannot sugarcoat these facts. But we must not surrender to them either. The SDGs are still within reach -- if we act with urgency and ambition", Guterres said, as reported by PTI.