Prime Minister Narendra Modi has offered to share India’s digital public infrastructure with the world, and called for global digital governance to uphold national sovereignty, in his address at the United Nations.
“Digital public infrastructure should be a bridge, not a barrier! For global good, India is ready to share its digital public infrastructure with the entire world,” Modi said at the UN ‘Summit of the Future 2024’ in New York on Monday.
The PM also stressed the need for balanced regulation for the safe and responsible use of technology. “We need global digital governance, which ensures that national sovereignty and integrity are upheld,” he said.
India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI) includes a digital identity layer, a fast payment system running as a unified payment interface (UPI), and consent-based data sharing. It has helped create an inclusive and reliable payment ecosystem to conduct transactions conveniently and also facilitates the deployment and access of new financial services across communities.
At the UN on Sunday, world leaders adopted the ‘pact for the future’, a landmark declaration pledging concrete actions towards a safer, more peaceful, sustainable, and inclusive world for “tomorrow’s generations”.
The pact, along with its annexes, the ‘global digital compact’ and the ‘Declaration on future generations’, was adopted by consensus.
While prioritising sustainable development, we must also ensure human welfare, food, and health security, Modi said. “By lifting 250 million people out of poverty in India, we have demonstrated that sustainable development can be successful. And we are ready to share this experience of our success with the entire Global South,” he said.
The PM also made a case for reforms in global institutions, stating that it was essential for global peace and development. “Reform is the key to relevance. Permanent membership of the G20 to the African Union at the New Delhi Summit was an important step in this direction. While on the one hand, terrorism continues to be a serious threat to global peace and security, on the other hand, areas such as cyber, maritime, and space are emerging as new theatres of conflict. On all these issues, I will stress that global action must match global ambition,” he said.