Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses a gathering at the UNESCO programme in Paris
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a gathering at the UNESCO programme in Paris during his 3-day official visit to France.
Here are the highlights of his speech:
- Truly honoured to address UNESCO. Specially privileged to visit this great institution in its 70th anniversary year.
- Through many challenges of our times, and the great progress of this era, the organization has endured and grown.
- Our world is, and will remain a better place because of the United Nations.
- Our collective goal is to seek a peaceful and prosperous future for our world in which every nation has a voice.
- Seeds of our collective destiny are sown in human minds - nurtured by the light of education.
- India values the worth of UNESCO deeply and cherishes its relationship.
- I am aware of the extraordinary legacy of our relationship from the time of UNESCO's birth.
- I'm grateful for UNESCO's support for education and science in India and preservation of our cultural heritage.
- Recall Mahatma Gandhi's message to UNESCO calling for urgent action to address the needs of education to secure lasting peace.
- Real progress is measured through empowerment of the weakest - this has been our creed since we assumed office almost a year ago.
- The strength of a nation is determined by the joined hands of every citizen.
- We will defend the right and liberty of every citizen.
- Education always has a special place in our tradition - it is the wealth that increases by giving.
- We (India) have built a modern state in an ancient land.
- Have launched the most ambitious program for skill development in remotest village.
- Programme to educate and support the girl child in India is one that is closest to my heart.
- We shall judge our progress not just by cold statistics of growth, but by the warm glow of belief and hope on human faces.
- Our Digital India will create a participative, transparent, and a responsive government connected to our citizens.
- Highest priority for the government is to provide a roof over every head.
- For us science is driven by larger purpose of human development and, for a safe, sustainable, prosperous future for India.
- We have launched a heritage development and augmentation yojana (plan) - 'Hriday' or heart in Hindi.
- UNESCO's initiatives to preserve the world's cultural heritage, including in India are inspiring.
- The fault lines in our world are shifting from the boundaries of our nations to streets of our cities.
- In many parts of the world, culture remains a source of conflict... familiarity does not always lead to fraternity or reduce prejudice.
- Culture must connect, not divide, our world.
- Our progress should inspire us to meet our challenges.
- We must make more effort to revive, preserve and nurture traditional knowledge.
- We must do more to harness science for human welfare in some of the most vulnerable parts of world-especially for health and food security.
- In India, faith and nature have had a deep link since ancient times. For us the only path to development is a sustainable one.
- Call for global public action to develop clean energy that is affordable and accessible to all.
- Much that we can learn from Sri Aurobindo's spiritualism (PM Modi paid homage to his statue before speaking at UNESCO).
- Climate change is a pressing global challenge and calls for a collective human action and comprehensive response.
- UNESCO will always have a part to play in sustainable development, peace, and security
- 70th anniversary is a moment to celebrate our remarkable journey so far.