Why in News?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day event (March 5–7, 2026) alongside Finland's President, Alexander Stubb, who served as the Chief Guest.
Key Features
- Theme: “SaαΉskΔra – Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement”, focusing on refining the global order through a blend of civilizational ethos and modern statecraft.
- Chief Guest: President Alexander Stubb of Finland delivered the keynote address, highlighting the end of a "Western-dominated world" and the rising role of the Global South.
Six Thematic Pillars:
- Contested Frontiers: Power, Polarity, and Periphery.
- Repairing the Commons: New Groups, New Guardians, New Avenues.
- White Whale: The Pursuit of Agenda 2030.
- The Eleventh Hour: Climate, Conflict, and the Cost of Delay.
- Tomorrowland: Towards a Tech-topia (focusing on AI and digital governance).
- Trade in the Time of Tariffs: Recovery, Resilience, and Reinvention.
Key Attendees:
- Representatives included foreign ministers from Malta, Bhutan, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka.
- U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau led the American delegation.
Notable Discussions:
- Technopolar World: Focus on how control over AI, semiconductors, and digital infrastructure is shifting global power.
- UN Reform: Calls for a reformed UNSC including permanent seats for Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
- Multilateralism: Debates on moving toward a "cooperative, fair, and representative" world order rather than conflictual multipolarity.
- Organisers: Jointly hosted by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
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