India will not shy away from raising its voice against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism and will use its tenure on the UN Security Council to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of international peace and security, India's Ambassador to the UN said on Monday. India's Permanent Representative to the UN TS Tirumurti made the remarks while speaking at a special flag installation ceremony organised at the Security Council stakeout here. Flags of the five new incoming non-permanent members of the Security Council - India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico - were installed at the stakeout during the special ceremony.

On January 1, India began its tenure as non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation UN organ for the 2021-22 term. Tirumurti installed the Indian tricolour and said that as India assumes the membership of the Security Council for the eighth time, "it is an honour for me as the Permanent Representative of India to take part in today's flag installation ceremony." "India comes into the Security Council as the largest democracy representing 1/6th of humanity and with a strong commitment to reformed multilateralism, rule of law, a fair and equitable international system and to peace, security and development. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, we stand united as one, bound by our ethos of democracy, pluralism and commitment to fundamental rights," Tirumurti said in his remarks during the ceremony.

He said India will "use our tenure to bring human-centric and inclusive solutions to matters of international peace and security. India will be a voice for the developing world." "We will not shy away from raising our voice against the common enemies of humanity like terrorism," he said, adding that India looks forward to "our collective pursuit for an ideal where the World is One Family - Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'." The Indian envoy said peace-keeping, peace-building, maritime security, women and youth, especially in conflict situations, and technology with a human face, will receive India's attention while on the 15-nation Council.

Noting that even as the world comes together in solidarity to face the COVID-19 pandemic, Tirumurti quoted the Indian philosopher Swami Vivekananda to say "Each nation must give, in order to live. When you give life, you will have life; when you receive, you must pay for it by giving to all others." Tirumurti also expressed gratitude to all the Member States of the United Nations who have given us an overwhelming mandate to represent them in the Security Council. In his address to the virtual high-level UN General Assembly session in September last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that as the world's largest democracy, India will bring its years of rich developmental experience for the benefit of the whole world when the country sits on the horseshoe table of the Council. "India will always speak in support of peace, security and prosperity. India will not hesitate in raising its voice against the enemies of humanity, human race and human values - these include terrorism, smuggling of illegal weapons, drugs and money-laundering," Modi had said.

India, Norway, Kenya, Ireland and Mexico join non-permanent members Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam and the five permanent members China, France, Russia, UK and the US in the Council for 2021. India will be UNSC President in August 2021 and will preside over the Council again for a month in 2022. The presidency of the Council is held by each of the members in turn for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the Member States names. The tradition of the flag installation ceremony was introduced by Kazakhstan in 2018. The ceremony was unanimously confirmed by all 15 UNSC members to become an annual tradition of the Security Council.