India significantly amplified its commitment to the Global South during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s intense diplomatic schedule at the United Nations’ 80th high-level week. His statements notably criticized Israel’s actions in Gaza, highlighted U.S.-led trade tensions, and underscored the urgent need for UN reforms.
A striking indicator of this shift was that over half of Jaishankar’s roughly 30 bilateral meetings were with representatives from developing countries. Furthermore, almost every multilateral event hosted by India or by Jaishankar himself centered on the unique challenges faced by the Global South and fostered alliances among non-Western blocs.
These crucial multilateral discussions involved key groups such as BRICS, IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa), India-CELAC (bringing together India and South American nations), India-SICA (focused on the Central American Integration System), FIPIC (engaging with Pacific Island countries), the L-69 (a coalition of developing countries), the C-10 (representing the African Union), and a special ‘High-Level Like-Minded Countries of the Global South’ assembly.
Mounting Tensions with the U.S. and Pharma Tariffs
Analysts suggest that India’s increased emphasis on the Global South might stem from growing dissatisfaction with recent U.S. policies. Despite a meeting between Mr. Jaishankar and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio early in the week, American rhetoric and actions against India remained unyielding. President Donald Trump publicly accused India and China of being ‘primary funders of the war’ in Ukraine, and reiterated his dubious claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict. Compounding these diplomatic tensions, the U.S. imposed new tariffs on Indian pharmaceutical products, alongside existing 50% tariffs on Indian goods and tightened visa and immigration policies impacting Indian professionals. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s assertion that the U.S. would ‘fix India’ to force market openness indicates a challenging path ahead for future Free Trade Agreement negotiations.
Concurrently, while Mr. Jaishankar engaged with Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and his Japanese counterpart during other sessions, the absence of a Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting fueled speculation about the timing of India’s upcoming Quad Summit. Washington’s proactive diplomatic outreach in South Asia further complicated matters, with President Trump holding extensive discussions with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Army Chief Field Marshall Asim Munir. U.S. Special Envoy Sergio Gor also met with leaders from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Bhutan. In stark contrast, Mr. Jaishankar’s regional engagements were limited to Sri Lanka and Maldives, against a backdrop of renewed India-Pakistan tensions during the General Debate.
India’s Evolving Stance on the Gaza Crisis
A notable alteration in India’s foreign policy during UNGA week was its evolving position on the Israel-Gaza conflict. Unlike its past stance, where New Delhi often abstained from ceasefire resolutions, India now supported several sharply critical statements against Israel. This included joint declarations from BRICS Foreign Ministers and the IBSA Trilateral Commission, which unequivocally expressed ‘grave concern about the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and strongly condemned the Israeli attacks against Gaza.’ The statement highlighted the ‘unprecedented suffering… ravaged by deaths, destruction, forced displacement, and famine,’ a significantly stronger condemnation than India had previously endorsed, reflecting a deeper alignment with the Global South’s perspective. Despite this, India refrained from joining approximately 80 other nations whose diplomats staged a walkout during Israeli Prime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address.
In his address during the General Debate, Mr. Jaishankar reiterated India’s strong commitment to addressing the ‘especially acute predicament’ faced by the Global South. He detailed a range of challenges, from ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza to critical issues like energy and food security, ‘non-market trade practices,’ volatile tariffs, and precarious market access.
He criticized global superpowers, stating that ‘The resource-stressed ones scrambled to survive, only to hear sanctimonious lectures thereafter,’ a pointed remark directed at the lack of substantive support for developing nations.
The Permanent Mission of India (PMI), in its 48-point ‘priority paper,’ voiced clear disappointment regarding the stagnation of UN Security Council reform. The paper also reaffirmed India’s resolve to remain an ‘active engagement as a leading voice of the Global South,’ advocating for critical areas like climate finance and development funding, while also strengthening collaborations with vital blocs such as Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and Small Island Developing States (SIDs).