United Nations, June 17 (IANS) The UN Charter signifies “hope” for Indians, India’s Permanent Representative P Harish said after symbolically signing the Preamble of the UN Charter to reaffirm the nation's commitment to it ahead of the commemoration of the 1945 inscription of the document that birthed the world organisation.

The UN Charter’s significance “for 1.4 billion citizens of India (is) in one word, 'ummeed’, meaning hope”, he said after the signing on Tuesday.

The signing in preparation for UN Charter Day on June 26 was to reaffirm the commitment to the principles of the Charter.

General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock, who proposed the symbolic signing, said it is a "renewed expression of our collective commitment to the purpose and principle of the Charter".

A Ramaswami Mudaliar, the leader of India’s delegation to the UN, signed the original Charter on behalf of India on June 25, 1945, in San Francisco.

India was one of the 50 founding members of the UN, even though at that time it was still a British colony but with Independence on the horizon.

India’s participation marked its role as a founding member of the United Nations, even before independence, reflecting its early engagement with the principles of multilateralism and international cooperation.

A note from Baerbock’s office about this year’s commemoration stressed the importance of reaffirming the commitment to the Charter because of the attacks on the UN.

“Eighty-one years after the signing of the Charter, we are standing at the crossroads. The United Nations is not only under political and financial pressure, but under attack”, it said.

“This year's commemoration of the UN Charter Day is, therefore, not only a memento of reflection, it is a call to action”, it said.

--IANS

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