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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
The UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution Monday calling on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to swiftly reverse their crackdown on women and to combat militant groups inside Afghanistan that Pakistan accuses of carrying out cross-border attacks. China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong, whose country sponsored the resolution, said the hope is that the Afghan government will "take more proactive measures to protect human rights, especially the rights of women, and project an image of openness, inclusivity and responsibility". The resolution extends the UN political mission in Afghanistan until June 17, 2027, and authorises it to support humanitarian aid deliveries "without discrimination" and to promote national and local governance "without any discrimination based on sex, religion or ethnicity, with the full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women,... minorities, youth and persons with disabilities". The resolution's adoption follows the arrest of at least 30 women in th
The UN food agency said millions of people are being pushed into acute hunger by the Iran war, as it warned would happen if the conflict escalated and oil prices remained high. The World Food Program said an analysis in three vulnerable countries found that an additional 2.5 million people in Somalia, 2.3 million in Afghanistan and 1.3 million in Sri Lanka are struggling to meet their basic food needs. In March, WFP predicted that 45 million people could be pushed into food insecurity by the end of June. That would be on top of the 318 million people around the world who are already food insecure. "We remain by that prognosis," WFP's acting Executive Director Carl Skau told UN reporters. "That's mainly because the correlation between the prices of energy and food is so tight in many places, and also that in the poorest countries people are already spending all their money on food, and hence when food prices rise, they eat less." WFP said in its report, circulated late Thursday, tha
The UN nuclear watchdog has been unable to inspect nuclear facilities in Iran affected by the war last June according to a confidential report by the UN nuclear watchdog circulated to member states. The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that it "cannot provide any information on the current size, composition or whereabouts of the stockpile of enriched uranium in Iran or whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities." The IAEA warned that it was "unable to discharge its safeguards responsibilities" that it has under the Safeguards Agreement of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, adding that it is "indispensable and urgent" for Tehran to implement its obligations under that Treaty. The only nuclear facility inspected in Iran by IAEA inspectors since the last report in February has been the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which was visited on June 1-3. The reactor currently running at Bushehr uses uranium from Russia enriched to 4.5 per cent, a low level needed
Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe were elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2027-28, with India saying it looks forward to working closely with them during their two-year tenure. In a closely watched and contested election on Wednesday, the 193-member UN General Assembly elected the five new non-permanent members who will replace Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia when their terms conclude at the end of 2026. India congratulated the newly elected members. "Hearty congratulations to the newly elected @UN Security Council members," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said in a post on X. "We look forward to working closely with each of you during your 2027-28 term and wish you all success," he added. The five new non-permanent UNSC members were elected by secret ballot for the two-year term beginning January 1, 2027, and ending December 31, 2028. In a major setback for ..
Over 550 Indian peacekeepers, including 53 women, serving with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) were honoured for their dedication and commitment to protecting civilians and supporting peacebuilding efforts in the conflict-affected country. A total of 565 Indian Blue Helmets and 464 Rwandan peacekeepers received the UN Medal of Honour at a ceremony in South Sudan's Malakal city, UNMISS said on Monday. There were 53 women among the 565 Indian Blue Helmets, it said. Blue Helmets refers to military personnel, police officers, and civilian experts serving under the operational command of the United Nations peacekeeping forces. The peacekeepers were recognised for their efforts in "protecting civilians through patrols, community engagement, veterinary camps, women's self-defence training, combating gender violence, and improving humanitarian access", the UN body said. UN Mission in South Sudan Force Commander Major-General Junhui Wu said every medal awarded celebrates the "courag
An annual United Nations report documenting sexual violence in conflicts worldwide has included Israeli forces for the first time since the review began more than 15 years ago for their treatment of Palestinian detainees. Israel denies the accusations. The 35-page report -- shared by the Israeli mission to the UN late on Thursday ahead of its expected release on Friday -- blacklists 77 government and non-government parties in a dozen countries suspected of committing or being responsible for sexual violence in conflicts around the world. It says the number of cases rose sharply in 2025 from 2024. Russian armed and security forces were also blacklisted for the first time this year for sexual violence against prisoners of war and civilians detained during the war in Ukraine. The list for 2025 includes Israel's armed and security forces as well as Hamas militants, who were previously blacklisted after their attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, which sparked the war in Gaza. Both Israe
Two Indian peacekeepers will be honoured posthumously by the United Nations for their ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty on the International Day of UN Peacekeepers. Lance Havildar Harbhajan Singh, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), and Naib Subedar Sujit Kumar Pradhan, who was deployed with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), will be posthumously honoured by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres with the prestigious Dag Hammarskjold Medal for their sacrifice in the line of duty. Additionally, Guterres will present the 2025 Military Gender Advocate of the Year award to Major Abhilasha Barak of India, who serves on the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), honouring her outreach efforts with women and girls during her deployment in the West Asian nation. The world commemorates the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers annually on May 29, paying homage to the fallen Blue Helmets wh
The ongoing extreme heat across large parts of India is primarily driven by worsening climate change caused by the massive burning of coal, oil, and gas, UN climate chief Simon Stiell said on Wednesday. He also highlighted the severe human and economic impact of the heatwave, particularly on people living in homes without cooling facilities and those working long hours outdoors. "These extremes drive home the importance of measures to adapt to climate impacts, globally," said Stiell, the executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in a statement. His remarks came as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said heatwave to severe heatwave conditions were likely to persist over central and northwest India for the next two to three days. The soaring temperatures have also led to a record-breaking power demand across the country. Peak power demand touched 257.3 GW on May 18, 260.4 GW on May 19, 265 GW on May 20, and a record
Pakistan will have to accept that there are "consequences" to its sponsorship of cross-border terrorism, India told a UN meeting, underscoring that it has "every right" to defend itself from such terror attacks perpetrated by its neighbour. "I am compelled to respond to baseless and unwarranted remarks made by Pakistan today. India would like to set the facts straight," India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said at a UN Security Council meeting on Tuesday. "Independent India began its life battling with cross-border aggression by Pakistan, which coveted Indian territories that had become a part of India as a result of their complete, legal and irrevocable accession," Parvathaneni said. Parvathaneni's strong response against Pakistan came during the Security Council debate on 'Upholding the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and strengthening the UN-centred international system', chaired by China, under its presidency of the 15-nation UN bod
India abstained from voting on a UN General Assembly resolution calling on countries to comply with their obligations on climate change, voicing concern that the draft "undermines" the "sacrosanct architecture" of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The resolution was adopted in the 193-member General Assembly on Wednesday with 141 votes in favour, eight against and 28 abstentions, including by India. India said it had engaged constructively during negotiations on the resolution and clarified its concerns and positions at every stage. "We are therefore disappointed that our concerns were not addressed, despite our best efforts to find common ground," it said. In the Explanation of Vote, First Secretary in India's Permanent Mission to the UN, Petal Gahlot, said adoption of the resolution by the General Assembly does not create binding commitments for India. "Our obligations arise only from outcomes adopted under the UNFCCC process. Hence, in line with our sta
Targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is "unacceptable", India's Permanent Representative to the UN Parvathaneni Harish has said, stressing that international law governing safe passage must be "fully respected". Harish's remarks at a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UNECOSOC) on safeguarding energy and supply flows came days after an India-flagged commercial vessel came under attack off the coast of Oman. Omani authorities rescued all 14 crew members of the vessel sailing from Somalia, but it was not immediately known who carried out the strike. In a post on X, Harish said that at the UNECOSOC meeting, he shared India's approach to the recent energy and fertiliser crisis caused by the West Asia conflict. "A combination of short-term and structural measures alongside international cooperation are essential to respond to the crisis," he said. "Reiterated that targeting of
India has adopted a "holistic approach" to migration governance that places the welfare, protection and empowerment of emigrants at its core, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh has said. Addressing a special event organised by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN on Thursday on the margins of the second International Migration Review Forum (IMRF), Singh highlighted India's "pioneering" digital initiative aimed at facilitating mobility and protection of its migrants. "The Indian migration story is both vast and dynamic. We have a diaspora of over 34 million people spread all across the globe, encompassing more than 200 countries, and our global community has served to connect economies, cultures and ideas through many centuries," he said. Singh said the contribution of the Indian diaspora through remittances, investments and knowledge exchange continues to play a vital role not only in India's development but also in the countries they've integrated ...
India received more than 137 billion dollars in remittances in 2024, the top remittance recipient country in the world and the only nation to surpass 100 billion dollars, the UN agency on migration said. "India consistently leads as the top recipient of remittances, followed by Mexico," the World Migration Report 2026, released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday, said. In 2024, India, Mexico, the Philippines and France were the top four remittance recipient countries globally. "India, however, continued to be well above the rest, receiving more than USD 137 billion, and remained the only country to surpass USD 100 billion," the report said. Since 2010, India has been the top remittance receiving country in the world, when it had received 53.48 billion dollars, which grew over the years to 68.91 billion dollars in 2015, 83.15 billion dollars in 2020 and 137.67 billion dollars in 2024. The report said that the distribution of remittances varies across .