New York, Sep 24: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today made a powerful call for early reform and expansion of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to enhance its credibility and effectiveness in dealing with global issues.

Addressing the 66th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, Dr. Singh said: "We need a stronger and more effective United Nations. We need a United Nations that is sensitive to the aspirations of everyone - rich or poor, big or small. For this the United Nations and its principal organs, the General Assembly and the Security Council, must be revitalized and reformed."

"The reform and expansion of the Security Council are essential if it is to reflect contemporary reality. Early reform of the Security Council must be pursued with renewed vigour and urgently enacted," he added.

He further said that the development agenda must be brought firmly back to the centre stage of the UN's priorities.

"We should not allow the global economic slowdown to become a trigger for building walls around ourselves through protectionism or erecting barriers to movement of people, services and capital. Effective ways and means must be deployed to promote coordination of macro economic policies of major economies. The reform of governance systems of international financial institutions ought to be pursued with speed and efficiency," the Prime Minister said.

"We need a much more determined effort to ensure balanced, inclusive and sustainable development for the benefit of vast sections of humanity. Each of us can contribute to this task, but we can achieve far more if we act in partnership," he added.

He also said that in the last few decades India has lifted tens of millions of its people out of abject poverty.

"We are in a position to feed our population better, to educate them better and to widen their economic choices. But we still have a very long way to go. We wish to quicken the pace of India's transformation in partnership with the international community," he said.

"A fast growing India can expand the boundaries for the global economy. A democratic, plural and secular India can contribute to tolerance and peaceful co-existence among nations," he added. (ANI)