Speaking at an event in New Delhi, MoS Meenakshi Lekhi highlighted India’s commitment to law making and rule of law

India’s commitment to law, both domestic and international, is for everyone to see, Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi said in New Delhi on Monday.

Addressing the 60th Annual Session of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO), she referred to Article 51 of the Indian Constitution, which expressly states that India is committed to international law.

She continued by saying that Article 51(d) of the Indian Constitution and Article 2(3) of the UN Charter both support the peaceful resolution of disputes as a fundamental principle.

"India was not only the founding member, but we also host the Headquarter of AALCO, which goes to showcase our commitment to law making and rule of law, both domestically and internationally. It is that commitment which allows us not only to participate but also to make progress in law making exercise and AALCO being one of such institutions," she said.

The AALCO annual session is being held in India from September 25 to September 29.

Describing AALCO's commitment to making the world a better place to live for everybody, she said AALCO is one of the international bodies which started initially as an Asian forum and then Africa joined it. “All I can say is that when I look around most of us are developing countries and all developing countries have their own aspirations to deal with,” she added.

According to MoS Lekhi, "These aspirations mean to take care of our own people while engaging with the world and making world a better place to live for everyone. That is the kind of commitment AALCO represents and as mentioned by earlier speakers that it all started in Bandung in Indonesia. Spirit of Bandung is the guiding principle for all of us to engage and work together."

She also pointed out that in the present day and age, the words of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "Sab ka Saath, Sab ka Vikas Aur Sab ka Vishwas," can also be seen as embodying the same spirit. She emphasised that his governance model, along with a burgeoning economy and vibrant democracy, has assisted India in meeting the current domestic and international challenges and aspirations for a better future.

Additionally, she expressed the wish that AALCO would address issues that affect developing nations, such as climate change, sustainability, or climate financing, and acknowledged that she believed that this was a weak point that needed to be strengthened.