Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that he believed there should be neither a lack of governance nor pressure of a government and it is a government’s responsibility to ensure minimal interference in the lives of the people.

The prime minister was delivering a special keynote address on “Shaping the Future Governments” at the World Governments Summit, 2024 in Dubai. The Summit was attended by 20 world leaders, including 10 presidents and 10 prime ministers, along with delegates from over 120 countries.

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Mr. Modi said he had been in government for 23 years and his focus was on minimum government, maximum governance. He tried to create an environment which encouraged enterprise among people and gave them energy, he said.

The prime minister said the international system was in bad shape, and there was a need for reforms in global governance institutions, as each country tried to grapple with its challenges. The world may be getting modern in the 21st century, but it is not free from problems of the last century which are getting more severe, he said.

Mr. Modi said there was a need to promote concerns of the developing world, and Global South should see participation in global decision-making. While nations give priority to national sovereignty, there will be a need to respect international law, he said.

Considering the challenges, the world needs governments that are inclusive and take everyone along, he said. There is a need for governments which are smart, make technology the medium for major changes, and are clean and free of corruption, he said.

Internationally, it was noted that people’s faith in their governments had fallen during the Covid crisis, he said. The Indian experience was just the opposite. People in India have total faith in the intent and commitment of their government.

This was so because the government was sensitive to people’s needs and helped them realise their dreams, he said. The Prime Minister said his Government followed a policy of saturation to ensure that no deserving person was left out of benefit from welfare schemes. India’s governance model had taken 25 crore people of poverty, he said.

The prime minister emphasised that given the interconnected nature of the world, governments must collaborate and learn from each other to address future challenges. He highlighted that it was the need of the hour for governance to be Inclusive, Tech-smart, Clean and Transparent, and Green.

In this context, he emphasised that governments must prioritise – Ease of Living, Ease of Justice, Ease of Mobility, Ease of Innovation and Ease of Doing Business in their approach to public service.

Elaborating on India’s steadfast commitment to Climate Change action, he called for people to join Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) to create a sustainable world.

The prime minister recalled India’s leadership role as the chair of G-20 last year on a wide range of issues and challenges facing the world. India tried to bring development concerns facing the Global South to the centre-stage of global discourse, he said.

Whether it is food security, health, water security, energy security, education, making the society inclusive, every government is tied to responsibilities towards its citizens, he said.

“Today, this is the question before every government what is the approach with which it should move forward? I feel the world needs such governments which are inclusive, take everyone along,” he said.

The prime minister said the World Government Summit has become a great medium to bring together thought leaders from across the world on a common platform.

At the invitation of Sheikh Mohamed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Defence Minister, and the Ruler of Dubai, the Prime Minister participated in the World Governments Summit as a Guest of Honour. He attended the World Governments Summit in 2018 also as Guest of Honour.