United Nations

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in India and Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) on Monday announced a new phase of their partnership to strengthen an inclusive circular economy for plastics, with a target to support 50,000 Safai Mitras and waste management systems across 50 cities by 2028. Building on seven years of collaboration, the partnership will focus on four areas -- social inclusion, strengthening urban waste management systems, improving recycling efficiency, and knowledge transfer, a joint statement said. Under the social inclusion component, the programme will work towards formalising and improving livelihoods of 50,000 Safai Mitras, with a particular focus on women, it said. It will also support 50 cities and urban local bodies (ULBs) in developing efficient, decentralised and resilient end-to-end waste management systems, besides improving segregation at source and strengthening recovery and recycling practices across value chains, it said. The partnership is

The US government has notified Congress of its plans to pay USD 850 million of the several billion it owes to the United Nations, the largest payment the Trump administration would make to the world body since it demanded sweeping reforms in exchange for continued support as its largest donor. The State Department laid out its plans to transfer USD 725 million as part of its dues to the regular UN budget and USD 125 million toward UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti and the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to notifications sent to lawmakers this month and obtained by The Associated Press. The US is behind on about USD 5 billion in dues related to its UN membership, with more than USD 2 billion owed toward the regular budget and USD 3 billion for peacekeeping operations, the United Nations says. In February, the Trump administration made a single payment of USD 160 million shortly after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the institution was facing "imminent ...

The Red Fort terror attack in New Delhi in November last year has been "officially attributed" to Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), according to a new report from a UN Security Council body monitoring counter-terrorism sanctions. A deadly and high-intensity explosion had rocked the Red Fort area in New Delhi, killing about 15 people and injuring many more. The explosion had ripped through a slow-moving car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort metro station. The report, published on Monday, said that "AQIS continued to evolve from a fragmented group into a regional terrorist entity. "AQIS established logistics and financial networks, working in decentralised small, scattered cells instead of large units. The attack in November 2025 on the Red Fort in Delhi was officially attributed to AQIS," the 38th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted to the Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee concerning ISIL and Al-Qaeda said. The report added

Expressing concern over the security situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said there needs to be accountability for action taken against people engaging in peaceful protest. "The Secretary-General supports the work of his High Commissioner, and we certainly hope that the pleas made by Mr. Turk will be listened to," Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General Farhan Haq said here on Friday. He was responding to a question by PTI on the situation in PoK and how the Secretary-General views the recent developments there. Last month, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk had expressed concern about the recent developments there, calling for impartial and thorough investigation into the death of protesters and Pakistan's ban of the Joint Awami Action Committee and arrest of its leaders. Concerns were also raised about restrictions on internet access and public gathering in violation of the right of freed

Progress was driven largely ​by gains in Asia, particularly India, as well as ​Latin America and the Caribbean. Some African countries also began to reverse years of deterioration

Launching India's campaign for a UN Security Council seat for 2028-29, S Jaishankar said New Delhi will prioritise maritime security, seafarers' safety and the Global South

A million women lose access to critical support in crisis-hit regions, according to the UN Women

Minister of State for External Affairs and Environment, Forest & Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh on Tuesday called for responsible, secure and inclusive global governance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) while addressing the United Nations Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva.Addressing the gathering, Singh said, "India firmly believes that responsible AI governance must rest on strong foundational principles: preserving human oversight, upholding human rights, and preventing its misuse."He said these principles, reflected in the recent India AI Impact Summit, are essential to ensuring that AI systems operate across borders in an ethical, secure and beneficial manner.Highlighting India's approach to AI, Singh said, "Our National Strategy for AI and National AI Governance Guidelines embody the philosophy of 'AI for All'--inclusive growth for everyone without stifling innovation."He, however, stressed that developing countries need greater support to participate ...

India will chair the ninth session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Consumer Protection Law and Policy, to be held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva this week, the Consumer Affairs Ministry said on Sunday. The session is organised by the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and will bring together member states, international organisations, consumer protection authorities, academics, and other stakeholders to discuss emerging issues in the field, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution said in a statement. The Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE), set up under the United Nations Guidelines for Consumer Protection, is the principal intergovernmental platform for dialogue and cooperation on consumer protection law and policy, according to the ministry. Nidhi Khare, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs, will preside over the three days of deliberations from July 6 to 8 and steer discussions among member states on key global ...

UN's scientific assessment says AI capabilities are advancing faster than governments can regulate them, urging stronger global cooperation, independent oversight, and standardised evaluations

Asserting that a "terrorist is a terrorist", India has called on the international community to work collectively to root out the "murderous ideology" without finding any grievance to justify terrorism. "India has been a victim of cross-border terrorism for decades. Our people have paid the price of terrorism in lives lost, families scarred, and societies shattered. This experience has shaped India's approach: there can be no justification for terrorism." "Irrespective of any grievance, political cause or strategic calculation, terrorism in all its forms and manifestations must be condemned unequivocally," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni has said. Assessing the UN General Assembly on the adoption of the Ninth Review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS), on Wednesday, Parvathaneni said the international community must reject double standards in counter-terrorism. He emphasised that there is an obligation to hold ...

A UN expert panel warned AI is advancing faster than science and regulation, saying there is no guarantee increasingly capable systems will not cause catastrophic harm

The UN trade agency said vulnerable economies could continue to face elevated food, fuel and transport costs even after energy markets stabilise following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz

India has said that attempts by countries to question the FATF's credibility reflect their "fear of scrutiny" and asked these nations to stop exporting instability and prevent their territory from being misused for terrorism, in a veiled reference to Pakistan. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, made these remarks on Monday while addressing a 2026 Counter-Terrorism Week side event titled 'Joining Forces to Counter Terrorism Financing in the Context of Evolving Threats and Emerging Technologies'. "The FATF remains an indispensable pillar of the global counterterrorism financing and anti-money laundering architecture. Its work is technical, evidence-based and rooted in internationally accepted standards. Attempts to question its credibility often reflect fear of scrutiny rather than genuine process-related concerns," Harish said. The event was co-organised by the Permanent Missions of India and France to the United Nations, the Counter-Terrorism Committee

A United Nations agency paused the evacuation of ships through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday after the British military said a vessel was hit by a projectile off the coast of Oman following the passage of several tankers that used a route backed by the UN. The head of the International Maritime Organisation said the plan to move stranded ships out of the Persian Gulf through the strait will be on hold until the agency can confirm safety guarantees for the ships on the evacuation list and in the region. The report of a strike came hours after Iran threatened vessels to stop using the route through the strait without Tehran's permission. The vessel that was attacked was not part of the evacuation effort, said Arsenio Dominguez, the UN agency's secretary-general. A US official told The Associated Press that the vessel was hit by an Iranian drone. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation, said the merchant vessel Ever Lovely was attacked by

The head of the UN's nuclear agency on Wednesday signalled that Iranian nuclear enrichment sites would be visited by his inspectors, a key component in the interim deal between the United States and Iran to reach an end to the war. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Mariano Grossi made the comments in Tokyo. "Whether this happens the day after tomorrow or in one week or in 10 days, it's important, but not essential," Grossi told journalists. "This is going to happen." On Tuesday, Iran and the US disputed whether or not bombed enrichment sites would be inspected. That's key for the deal, which calls for Iran's stockpile of uranium to be "downblended" from highly enriched levels.

Organisation highlights bias, digital violence and lack of representation ahead of two global conferences

India has slammed Pakistan at the United Nations, calling it a "Frankenstein state" that gets shocked when its "own monster bites back", as it accused Islamabad of "hosting, training and deploying" terrorists. The remarks were made by Anupama Singh, First Secretary at India's Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on Wednesday, after Pakistan and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir during the Interactive Dialogue on the UN High Commissioner's annual report. "India is compelled to exercise this right of reply in response to references made to it by Pakistan and the OIC. We categorically reject the baseless and malicious allegations made by Pakistan," Singh said. The diplomat further said: "We also categorically reject the references to Jammu and Kashmir made by the OIC... For the record, Jammu and Kashmir was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India. The only unresolved issue is Pakistan's illegal occupati

Commemorating the International Day of Yoga, UN chief Antonio Guterres has said that from its deep roots in ancient India, yoga has become truly universal, helping millions of all faiths. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN marked the 12th International Day of Yoga at the world body's headquarters on Thursday on the theme of 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'. Vibrant yoga mats were neatly arranged at the North Lawns of the UN headquarters in the vicinity of the iconic Gandhi statue, as yoga practitioners, diplomats, UN officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the Indian-American community participated in the Yoga Day celebrations. On the stage, a special banner announcing India's candidature as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2028-29 term was also displayed with the message '#India4UNSC 2028-29 Peace, Planet, Progress.' In his message to mark the International Day of Yoga, Secretary General Antonio Guterres said that "we come together to celebrate an ..

India has cautioned that reform of the UN Security Council will border on "failure" if only its non-permanent category of membership is expanded. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni made these remarks on Monday while addressing the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) meeting on Security Council reforms. "UNSC reform would be grossly inadequate, bordering on failure, if expansion is limited only to the non-permanent category as it would fundamentally not change the decision making power-structure of the P5," Parvathaneni said. "Groups and member states have waited this long for real and meaningful reforms," he further added. Parvathaneni was addressing the meeting, with focus on the 'Elements Paper', a document that contains points of convergences and divergences of UN member states on reform of the powerful UN body. Parvathaneni stressed that by advocating expansion of the permanent category, India's consistent effort has been to bring in a