Dr Tharoor directed much of his address to the role of the United Nations, acknowledging its shortcomings in situations such as Gaza and Ukraine yet insisting that retreat would amount to abandoning shared principles of global responsibility. Drawing on his own 30-year tenure at the organisation, he recalled moments of faltering in Rwanda and yet achievements in Timor-Leste and Namibia, emphasising that the UN remains “an indispensable symbol of not perfection but of possibility.” He argued that the body must renew its legitimacy by engaging all states equitably and adapting to a world where challenges transcend borders.
Turning to the theme of faith and the global context, Tharoor criticised how religion has become a vehicle for political division and threat rather than compassion and service. With a nod to the host South African society—as well as Tutu’s lifelong fight against segregation and injustice—he said that plural nations should heed the message of “Sarva dharma sambhav” and reject frameworks that force citizens into binary identities. He described division as humanity’s “costliest tax,” eroding trust, undermining economies and crippling hope.
While connecting faith to governance and society, Tharoor argued for tackling structural inequities—economic, racial and religious—that perpetuate conflict and exclusion. He asserted that any peace built without justice is brittle, echoing Tutu’s principle that societies must not choose between justice and peace. He urged listeners to listen to survivors of conflict, confront exclusion, and actively build inclusive institutions.