India: UN chief Antonio Guterres to meet PM Modi, foreign minister Jaishankar during official visit

United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is set to begin his three-day official visit to India in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai, on Tuesday (October 18). This will be the UN chief’s first visit since the commencement of his second term in January 2022, said India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a statement.

During his visit, he will also meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the launch of LiFE initiative in the state of Gujarat as well as hold bilateral discussions with external affairs minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar.

The statement also indicated that Guterres will begin his visit by paying tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai that took place in the year 2008. Subsequently, he will also give a public address at IIT Mumbai on the topic, “India @75: UN-India Partnership: Strengthening South-South Cooperation”.

The UN chief will also meet EAM S Jaishankar for bilateral discussions on the “issues of global concern, steps to deepen India’s engagement with the UN, including through India’s upcoming Presidency of the G20 and reformed multilateralism,” said the MEA. Notably, this is Guterres’ second visit to New Delhi, as he visited during his first term in October 2018.

On October 20, Guterres will visit the poll-bound Indian state of Gujarat in Ekta Nagar, Kevadiya where he will join PM Modi for the launch of the mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) booklet, logo and tagline. Subsequently, the UN secretary-generalis also expected to pay floral tributes at the Statue of Unity while in Kevadiya.

According to the statement, Guterres will also visit development projects in the area including, India’s first solar-powered village in Gujarat’s Modhera. He will also be visiting the Sun Temple located in the village. This visit also comes ahead of the UN Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee meetings which India is set to host in Delhi and Mumbai, later this month.

What is the LiFE initiative?

In 2021, India’s signature initiative called Lifestyle for Environment (LiFE) was first launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at COP26 in Glasgow. PM Modi had called upon the global community of individuals and institutions to drive the initiative as an international mass movement towards, “mindful and deliberate utilisation, instead of mindless and destructive consumption” to protect and preserve the environment.

The initiative will also showcase climate action and the early achievement of Sustainable Development Goals while the central idea reflects India’s ethos for Mother Nature, said the MEA statement. The aim is to mobilise one billion citizens to become “Pro-Planet people” (3P).

Even if one billion people from the eight people billion in the world are able to adopt daily environment-friendly behaviours, global emissions could be cut down by at least 20% indicated the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Earlier this year, in June, when it was first announced PM Modi had said, “In our daily life choices, let us pick the most sustainable options…India stands ready to support any effort for a better environment and to further global wellness. Our track record speaks for itself.”

(With inputs from agencies)