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 commission, established in 2005, was tasked with advising the UN General Assembly and the Security Council on issues of peacebuilding and sustaining peace
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
With four months left in office, Biden steps up to the green-marbled lectern to address world leaders at UN General Assembly with wars in both regions posing dilemmas likely to outlast his presidency
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 ...
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis on Monday arrived in New Delhi on a five-day visit to India to advance India-UN ties
Mishra said it was an appropriate time to reflect on the recent developments in the global and Indian economy, and what the future may hold for the country
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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
The Jordanian-led draft resolution has been adopted by the General Assembly, with 120 votes in favour, 14 against and 45 abstentions
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 ...
"Every member State here today who is convinced that we are above to discuss yet another round of conflict in the Middle East another dispute between Israel and the Palestinians is wrong," he said
This comes after the Hamas attack on Israel in which more than 1,400 Israelis were killed, mostly in the initial Hamas attack
Russia faces a tough fight to regain a seat in the U.N.'s premiere human rights body in Tuesday's election in the General Assembly, which voted last year to suspend Moscow after its invasion of Ukraine. The 193-member assembly will be electing 15 members to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council, with candidates put forward by the U.N.'s five regional groups. Russia is competing against Albania and Bulgaria for two seats allotted to the East European regional group, and Moscow's U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, accused the United States on Monday of leading a campaign to prevent their return to the council. The main phobia of our American colleagues today is electing Russia to the Human Rights Council, Nebenzia told a Security Council meeting called by Ukraine on last week's strike by a Russian missile on a Ukrainian soldier's wake in a small village that killed 52 people. The United States and others have sent letters to many of the 193 members of the General Assembly urging a vo
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The EAM is in New York to lead the Indian delegation at the 78th UNGA
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a series of bilateral meetings with his global counterparts on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly session here, exchanging views on reforming multilateralism and cooperation in G20. He held separate bilateral meetings with his counterparts from Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Armenia on Sunday. Jaishankar said it was a "real pleasure" to meet with Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alicia Brcena of Mexico. "Discussed taking forward our Privileged Partnership focusing on business, science & technology, education, economy and traditional medicine. Also exchanged views on reforming multilateralism and our work together in G20," he said in a post on X. The external affairs minister also met his counterpart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Elmedin Konakovic and discussed growing bilateral ties with a focus on trade and economy. Terming his meeting with Konakovic on the sidelines of the UNGA session as "good", Jaishankar said, ...
North Korea on Monday called South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol a guy with a trash-like brain and a diplomatic idiot as it blasted him for using a UN speech to issue a warning over the North's deepening military ties with Russia. In a speech at the UN General Assembly last week, Yoon said South Korea will not sit idly by if North Korea and Russia agree to weapons deals that would pose a threat to the South. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's trip to Russia earlier this month to meet President Vladimir Putin and visit key military sites raised international concern about a possible push by North Korea to receive sophisticated nuclear and weapons technologies in return for replenishing Russia's conventional arms inventory depleted by its war with Ukraine. Puppet traitor Yoon Suk Yeol, even at the 78th U.N. General Assembly, malignantly slandered the relations between (North Korea) and Russia, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said in a commentary. Without addressing th