United Nations

The United Nations said Monday it's waiting to find out how much of the nearly USD 4 billion the United States owes the world organisation the Trump administration intends to pay and when the money will arrive. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned last week that the world body faces "imminent financial collapse" unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States. The US owes USD 2.196 billion to the UN's regular operating budget, including USD 767 million for this year, according to a UN official. The US also owes USD 1.8 billion for the separate budget for the UN's far-flung peacekeeping operations, and that also will rise. The US Mission to the United Nations confirmed that US Ambassador Mike Waltz said the Trump administration planned to make a significant down payment on its arrears in a matter of weeks, with the final amount still to be determined. His comments were first reported by ...

India has paid USD 35.18 million to the UN Regular Budget for 2026, joining the "honour roll" of 47 Member States who have paid their regular budget dues in full to the world body on time. The UN Committee on Contributions said that as of February 3, 2026, 47 Member States have paid their regular budget assessments in full, within the 30 day due period specified in UN financial regulations. India contributed USD 35.18 million to the 2026 United Nations Regular Budget and made the payment on February 3. Listing the countries making it to the "honour roll" of Member States who have paid their regular budget assessments in full, Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, asked a quiz-style question at the daily briefing about India. "This country is the home of The Statue of Unity, the world's tallest statue, with a height of 182 metres. [...] Yes, very good, India," Dujarric said, referring to the statue of Indian political leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

The UN Security Council strongly condemned the latest surge in militant attacks in southwestern Pakistan that has killed dozens of people, mostly civilians, as security forces on Wednesday pressed their operations in the insurgency-hit region. The authorities said scores of militants have been killed in recent days as Pakistani forces crack down on the insurgents in the volatile Balochistan province, where about a dozen coordinated attacks began on Saturday, targeting civilians and buildings housing police and security personnel. Federal and provincial officials said at least 36 civilians and 17 members of the security forces have been killed. Security forces so far killed 197 militants from the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army, which has claimed responsibility for recent suicide bombings and gun attacks. In a statement issued overnight, UN Security Council President James Kariuki said council members condemned in the "strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks across

While megacities often draw attention, the UN report shows that most urban growth is happening in smaller cities

UN programmes worldwide face growing risk after the United States, the organisation's largest contributor, cut voluntary funding and withheld mandatory payments

UN chief Antonio Guterres cited the FTA between India and the EU as he underlined the need to support "multi-polarity", emphasising that global problems will not be solved by "one power calling the shots", in a veiled reference to the US and China. "In the present moment, it is clear that the most powerful country in the world is the US. Obviously, we see - and many see in relation to the future - the idea that there are two poles, one centred in the US and one centred in China," Guterres said Thursday at a press conference here outlining his priorities for 2026. He added that "if we want a stable world, if we want a world in which peace can be sustained, in which development can be generalised, and in which, in the end, our values will prevail, we need to support multi-polarity. "We need to support a dense set of relations among different countries. And I see with a lot of positive expectations, recent trade agreements: You had the EU with Mercosur. You had EU with Indonesia. EU wi

The Board of Peace is a core element of Trump's 20-point plan that helped broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last year

The rules-based international order, built after World War II to restrain power through law and institutions, is under scrutiny as Western leaders acknowledge gaps in how it has been applied

FDI inflows to India jumped 73% to $47 billion in 2025, driven by strong investments in services, IT, R&D and manufacturing, according to UNCTAD

Despite climate and biodiversity risks, a UN report finds the world spent $7.4 trillion damaging nature in 2023, around 30 times more than it invested in protecting ecosystems

The withdrawal notice left the health organisation without its top donor. Between 2022 and 2023, the US contributed nearly $1.3 billion to the WHO

The reaction came after Trump formally launched the Board of Peace at the WEF, signing its charter and describing the move as a major step towards global conflict resolution

US President Donald Trump's ambition for the 'Board of Peace' to play a role in global conflicts beyond Gaza appears to be the latest US attempt to sidestep the UN Security Council, raising new questions about the relevance of the 80-year-old world body and uncertainty about its future as a primary force in brokering peace worldwide. Trump is establishing the board, to be composed largely of invited heads of state, as the UN has embarked on major reforms intended to modernise an organisation founded on the ashes of World War II and make it a more viable global player in the 21st century. A decades-long reform effort gained new impetus after the Trump administration last year set out to eliminate billions of dollars in funding to international organisations and humanitarian assistance at large. Cutting life-saving humanitarian efforts, consolidating major agencies and moving personnel out of New York headquarters are just a few of the changes the UN has made as it courts continued ..

When asked whether he wants the Board of Peace to replace the United Nations, Trump said they "haven't been very helpful," but believed in the organisation's potential

The world's first legally binding agreement to protect marine life in international waters took effect Saturday, marking a historic moment for ocean conservation after nearly two decades of negotiations. The High Seas Treaty will govern nearly half the planet's surface the vast ocean areas beyond any country's control. These waters face mounting threats from destructive fishing practices, shipping, plastic pollution, overfishing and potential deep sea mining, all compounded by climate change. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide and produces oxygen, making its health critical for addressing the climate crisis. The treaty entered into force 120 days after it reached the threshold of ratification by 60 countries in September. As of Friday, 83 countries had ratified it, including the recent addition of major maritime powers such as China and Japan. The treaty creates the first framework for establishing Marine Protected Areas on the high seas, which make up about two-thirds of the world'

In a post on X on Tuesday, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the decision was made after a review of organisations named in the US announcement and of Israel's own experience

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday (local time) urged Iranian authorities to "exercise maximum restraint" amid unrest in the country, stressing that the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly "must be fully respected" and "protected".The UN chief's remarks come amid protests in Iran that killed at least 420 protesters during anti-government demonstrations over the past 15 days, including eight children, according to Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), CNN reported.In a post on X, the UN Secretary-General emphasised the need to refrain from the "unnecessary or disproportionate use of force" while handling public demonstrations."Shocked by reports of violence & excessive use of force by the Iranian authorities against protesters resulting in deaths & injuries in recent days. The rights to freedom of expression, association & peaceful assembly must be fully respected & protected. I urge the Iranian authorities

Marking World Hindi Day on Saturday, the United Nations said the language connects communities and brings people together across borders. Saturday is World Hindi Day!" the UN said in a post on X with a greeting in Hindi. "Today and every day, we celebrate Hindi as a language that connects communities and brings people together across borders, the world body said on Hindi Diwas. It also urged people to follow @UNinHindi for more updates on the UN's work. In a first, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had issued his New Year's message for the year 2026 in Hindi, among other languages. Guterres' New Year message was issued in 11 languages, including the six official UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, as well as Hindi and Urdu. His video message on the occasion was issued with Hindi subtitles as well. In 2018, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between India and the UN Department of Global Communications establishing the Hindi@UN' Project,

The top United Nations official has said that the United States has a legal obligation to keep paying its dues that fund UN agencies after the White House announced that it is withdrawing support from more than 30 initiatives operated by the world body. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he regretted President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from 31 UN-related agencies, including the UN's population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations. The US also will depart dozens of other global organizations or initiatives not affiliated with the UN As we have consistently underscored, assessed contributions to the United Nations regular budget and peacekeeping budget, as approved by the General Assembly, are a legal obligation under the UN Charter for all Member States, including the United States, Stephane Dujarric, a spokesperson for Guterres, said in a statement. He added that despite the announcement, the UN entities targeted will keep doing

The statistics ministry on Wednesday estimated the economy to grow 7.4 per cent in 2025-26