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UN General Assembly
India has experienced remarkable transformation in the last decade, UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang has said, underlining that his upcoming visit to the country will give him an opportunity to see how digital and technological innovation has fuelled this change. Yang will visit India from February 4 to 8, his first official visit to the country as President of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly. As the world's largest democracy, the fifth-largest economy and home to one-fifth of humanity, India is an important member of the United Nations, Yang told PTI in an exclusive interview ahead of his trip. Responding to a question on the visit's focus, Yang said he looks forward to understanding, more deeply, India's priorities and vision for the future of multilateralism. During the visit, he will engage with Indian leadership, including President Droupadi Murmu and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar. Recalling that he had visited India in 2013 as Prime Ministe
The UN General Assembly's yearly meeting of world leaders is here and with it, an array of acronyms, abbreviations, titles and terms that can be confounding to observers. Here is some key vocabulary, decoded. For starters ... UNGA: Acronym (yes, people do pronounce it UN'-gah) for the UN General Assembly's High-level Week". It's the international organization's biggest annual event, inviting presidents, prime ministers, monarchs and other top leaders of all 193 UN member countries to speak to the world and each other. Although New Yorkers sometimes just use General Assembly to describe what many experience mainly as a week of street closures and whizzing motorcades, the assembly actually isn't just this meeting. It's a body that convenes countries' ambassadors throughout the year to discuss a wide range of global issues and vote on resolutions. GENERAL DEBATE: The centrepiece of the week, it gives each country's leader (or a designee) the mic for a state-of-the-world speech from i
India's new Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish assured the country's commitment to reformed "multilateralism" and "revitalisation" of the UN as he presented his credentials to UN chief Antonio Guterres here. Deeply honoured to present my letter of credence to UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres. It is a matter of great pride and immense responsibility to represent India at the United Nations, Harish said in a post on X and thanked Guterres for his friendship and support for India. Harish, who arrived in New York last week to take charge as India's envoy to the world body, presented his credentials to Guterres at the UN headquarters Monday during an official ceremony. You are extremely welcome. India is a fundamental pillar of the democratic system in the UN and cooperation between India and the UN is exemplary. We believe that in your presence it will become even stronger, Guterres said as Harish presented his credentials to him. Harish conveyed to
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the high-level UN General Assembly session here on September 26, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the UN. The high-level General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly will take place from September 24-30. As per the provisional list of speakers for the General Debate issued by the UN on Monday, India's Head of Government is scheduled to address the high-level session in the afternoon of September 26. The list is not final and the UN releases updated provisional lists of speakers in the weeks leading up to the high-level session to reflect any modifications in attendance, schedules and speaking slots of leaders, ministers and ambassadors. Brazil, traditionally the first speaker at the debate, will open the high-level session on September 24, followed by the US, with American President Joe Biden delivering his current term's final address to global leaders from the iconic UN podium before his count
The US supports much-needed reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to make it reflective of the 21st-century world, a senior Biden administration official has said, amidst growing calls for inclusion of India as the permanent member of the powerful organ of the world body. State Department's Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel's remarks came as he responded to a question about billionaire tech magnate Elon Musk's assertion that there is no meaning in having the UN without India's permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. He said President Joe Biden has spoken about this (the need for reforms) before in his remarks to the UN General Assembly. "We certainly support reforms to the UN institution, including the Security Council, to make it reflective of the 21st-century world that we live in. I don't have any specifics to offer on what those steps are, but certainly, we recognise that there is a need for reform," Patel said during a press ...
Terrorism is a "malignancy" and knows no borders, nationality or race and the world should not buy into any justification of terror acts, India has told the UN General Assembly as it abstained on a resolution on the Israel-Hamas conflict. India on Friday abstained in the UN General Assembly on a Jordanian-drafted resolution titled Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations' that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza strip. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution that called for an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities. The resolution, which garnered 121 votes in favour, 44 abstentions and 14 member states voting against it, also demanded the immediate, continuous, sufficient and unhindered provision of essential goods and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip. India's Deputy Permanent Representati
India has abstained in the UN General Assembly on a resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict leading to a cessation of hostilities. It also called for unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza strip. Israel has launched a massive counter-offensive against Hamas after unprecedented attacks by the militant group on October 7 killed more than 1,400 people. The 193 members of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), which met in a resumed 10th Emergency Special Session, voted on the draft resolution submitted by Jordan and co-sponsored by more than 40 nations including Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan, Russia and South Africa. The resolution titled "Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations" was overwhelmingly adopted with 120 nations voting in its favour, 14 against it and 45 abstaining. Besides India, countries that abstained included Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and the UK. The Jordanian-drafted ...