India And United Nations

UN turns 80 facing crisis of relevance as India readies for greater role

The UN marked its 80th anniversary in 2025 amid global conflicts, financial crisis, and US President Donald Trump's criticism, as India urged the world body to focus on "leadership and hope" and expressed willingness to take on a greater role. The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, along with several others around the world from Sudan to Myanmar, raged unabated in 2025, yet again highlighting the ineptitude of the UN and its powerful, but polarised, Security Council in addressing global challenges. As nations continue to grapple with humanitarian emergencies, climate chaos and economic inequality, questions are raised over the relevance of the UN and whether the 80-year-old organisation, founded in 1945, has solutions for the problems of a world in flux in the 21st century. Against this backdrop, India gave a clarion call for reformed multilateralism. Addressing world leaders from the UN General Assembly podium in September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed that an ...

Pak's 'unique way' of respecting people's will is jailing PM: India at UNSC

In a sharp retort, India ripped through Pakistan's "divisive agenda" at the UN Security Council, calling out Islamabad's unique way of respecting the will of its people by jailing a prime minister and giving lifetime immunity to its army chief. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, delivered a strong response in the Security Council on Monday after Pakistan's Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad raised the issues of Jammu and Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty during an open debate on 'Leadership for Peace'. "Pakistan's unwarranted reference to Jammu and Kashmir in today's open debate attests to its obsessive focus on harming India and its people. A serving non-permanent Security Council Member that chooses to further this obsession in all meetings and platforms of the UN in pursuit of its divisive agenda cannot be expected to fulfil its designated responsibilities and obligations. Let me be clear -- India will counter Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in

India slams Pakistan, calls it 'global epicentre of terror' at UNSC

India on Monday (local time) delivered a stinging rebuttal to Pakistan at the United Nations Security Council Open Debate on "Leadership for Peace", firmly rejecting Islamabad's claims over Jammu and Kashmir's "unresolved disputes" as "unwarranted", reiterating that the Union Territory along with Ladakh are an integral and inalienable part of India, and emphasising that they "were, are, and will always remain so."Referring to Pakistan's comments during the debate, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni, labelled Pakistan as the "global epicentre of terror" while calling it out for using the UN platform to further its "obsessive focus on harming India and its people."He added that Pakistan, pursuing a divisive agenda, undermines its international responsibilities as a non-permanent UNSC member."I refer to the statement made by the representative of Pakistan today. India would like to reiterate that the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and ..

Brazil's Lula meets Bhupender Yadav at COP30 to discuss fossil fuel roadmap

Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met the Indian delegation led by Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav at the UN COP30 Climate Summit and discussed crucial issues that negotiators are intensely discussing to hammer out a final roadmap. According to sources privy to the discussion, the two sides mainly discussed on Wednesday a possible roadmap on fossil fuel -- a topic that the President is pushing hard during the ongoing COP30. "Lula and Yadav met in the afternoon and discussed some important issues. They primarily talked about the fossil fuel issue and explored if a roadmap can be brought in this summit itself," a source on the Brazilian side told PTI here. The closed-door meeting lasted for about 20 minutes and senior officials from both sides were present during the talks. India's Lead Negotiator at COP30 Amandeep Garg was also present at the meeting. An official on the Indian side said, "They met for about 15-20 minutes and discussed many issues." He, however, did no

India urges UN to act against cross-border arms trafficking and terrorism

India has suffered from cross-border terrorism carried out using illicit weapons trafficked across its borders, New Delhi's envoy at the UN has said, in a thinly-veiled reference to Pakistan. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish stressed on Monday that the UN Security Council must have a zero-tolerance approach towards those who facilitate and sponsor the use and movement of such weapons. India has fought the scourge of terrorism for several decades and is therefore aware of the dangers posed by the diversion and illicit transfer of small arms and ammunition to armed non-State actors and terrorist groups, Harish said Monday at the UN Security Council Open Debate on Small Arms. Harish's remarks in the UN headquarters came hours after a deadly and high-intensity explosion rocked the Red Fort area in New Delhi and killed at least nine people while injuring many more. The explosion ripped through a slow-moving car at a traffic signal near the Red Fo

India rejects UN expert's claim linking Pahalgam attack to Myanmar refugees

India has strongly rejected baseless observations made by a UN expert on Myanmar that refugees from the Southeast Asian nation were under severe pressure following the Pahalgam terror attack, with Delhi denouncing this prejudiced and blinkered analysis. I express serious objection to the baseless and biased observations in the report regarding my country. I strongly denounce the biased approach adopted by the Special Rapporteur of the innocent civilian victims of the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam through a biased communal lens, Member of Parliament Dilip Saikia said on Tuesday. Saikia delivered India's statement on the situation of human rights in Myanmar at the interactive dialogue in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly. India strongly rejected the observations made by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar, Thomas Andrews, in his report on the situation of human rights in Myanmar. Referring to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, the

Jaishankar reaffirms India's commitment to peace at 80th UN anniversary

I take it as a statement of our collective attachment to the United Nations on this important anniversary at a time when the world is perhaps passing through some more difficult circumstances, he said

India elected for seventh time to UN Human Rights Council for 2026-28 term

The Human Rights Council is the main intergovernmental body within the United Nations responsible for human rights. Established in 2006 by the General Assembly

India, WFP to supply 200k tonnes of fortified rice for humanitarian needs

India and WFP signed a pact to supply 200,000 tonnes of fortified rice over five years from FCI warehouses to meet humanitarian food and nutrition needs globally

India's food transformation key to global hunger fight: WFP Deputy Chief

As global hunger surges amid conflict, climate shocks, and a devastating 40 per cent funding cut to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), India's remarkable transformation from a food-scarce nation to a global aid supplier has emerged as a critical lifeline, WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau said on Monday. In an exclusive interview to PTI, Skau emphasised that cooperation with emerging powers like India has become essential as Western funding declines. "It's critical. For one, because of Western OECD countries pulling back on the funding. But I think also, importantly, because of the solutions that India has found for itself to deal with its food security," he said. Skau, also the Chief Operating Officer of WFP, highlighted that India's homegrown solutions are more applicable to crisis-hit regions in Africa and Asia than recent experiences from Europe or North America. The country's innovative approaches, including grain ATMs and rice fortification, are now reshaping relief ...

India calls for ceasefire in Gaza, says pauses not enough to ease crisis

Voicing concern over the persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza, India asserted that a ceasefire must be put in place, emphasising that intermittent pauses in hostilities are "not enough" to address the scale of challenges facing the region's people. Today's meeting takes place against the backdrop of a persisting humanitarian crisis in Gaza," said India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, addressing an open debate in the UN Security Council on Wednesday. "Intermittent pauses in hostilities are not enough to address the scale of humanitarian challenges confronting the people, who grapple daily with acute shortages of food and fuel, inadequate medical services and lack of access to education, Harish said at the open debate on the 'Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question'. Underlining that the way ahead is clear, and highlighting India's consistent position in this regard, Harish said the ongoing human suffering must not be ...

As wars rage in Gaza, Iran and Ukraine, is the UN struggling for relevance?

The UN faces growing criticism for its limited role in major conflicts, as Gaza, Iran and Ukraine expose the body's structural weaknesses and crisis of legitimacy

Child deaths down, vaccinations up-but India's health fight isn't over

India is closing gaps in child mortality, immunisation, and maternal mortality under SDG 3, but must tackle malnutrition, NCDs, and rural health gaps to stay on track for 2030 targets

India enters SDG global top 100, driven by clean energy and health gains

Driven by progress in clean energy, health and housing, India climbs to 99th rank in the 2025 global SDG index, ahead of Bangladesh and Pakistan

India enters top 100 in global SDG rankings of nations for first time

India has for the first time secured a place among the top 100 out of 193 countries ranked for their progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a report published on Tuesday. According to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's 10th and latest Sustainable Development Report (SDR), India ranks 99th on the 2025 SDG Index with a score of 67, while China ranks 49th with 74.4 and the US 44th with 75.2 points. Among India's neighbours, Bhutan takes 74th place with 70.5 points, Nepal ranks 85th with 68.6, Bangladesh 114th with 63.9 and Pakistan 140th with 57 points. India's maritime neighbours, Maldives and Sri Lanka, stood at 53rd and 93rd places, respectively. The report's authors said that SDG progress has stalled at the global level, with only 17 per cent of the 17 targets adopted by the UN member countries in 2015 projected to be achieved by 2030. "Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities and limited fiscal space impede SDG progress in many

International Yoga Day celebrated at UN with special meditation session

Yoga offers a time-tested path to live more peacefully at a time when stress and mental health challenges are on the rise, India's envoy to the UN has said at a special guided meditation session here to mark International Yoga Day. Eminent physician, author and wellness guru Deepak Chopra led the session at the UN headquarters hosted by the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations to mark the day on Friday evening. Colourful yoga mats were neatly arranged at the North Lawns of the UN headquarters as over 1,200 yoga practitioners, diplomats, UN officials, members of the diplomatic corps and the diaspora community participated in the 11th International Yoga Day celebrations. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador P Harish, in his welcome address, said that this year's theme for the day - Yoga for One Earth, One Health' is rooted in the One Earth, One Health' approach introduced during India's G20 presidency in 2023. The theme underscores the vital truth that ou

India pushes for Global Ocean Pact, launches data portal at UN meet

In 2024, the Potsdam Institute's Planetary Health Check warned that ocean acidity could soon become the seventh planetary boundary to be breached

India's population at 1.46 bn, fertility drops below replacement rate: UN

India's population is estimated to reach 1.46 billion in 2025, continuing to be the highest in the world, according to a new UN demographic report, which also revealed the country's total fertility rate has fallen below the replacement rate. UNFPA's 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report, The Real Fertility Crisis, calls for a shift from panic over falling fertility to addressing unmet reproductive goals. Millions of people are not able to realise their real fertility goals, it asserts. This is the real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation, and the answer lies in greater reproductive agency - a person's ability to make free and informed 150 per cent choices about sex, contraception and starting a family, it says. The report also reveals key shifts in population composition, fertility, and life expectancy, signalling a major demographic transition. The report found that India's total fertility rate has declined to 1.9 births per woman, falling below the replacement l