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Sustainability has to be at core of development in 21st century: UNGA prez

UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis has said that there is no conflict between promoting sustainability and economic growth and development, underscoring that sustainability has to be the anchor for development in the 21st century. Francis will convene the UN's first-ever Sustainability Week' April 15-19 under the theme Paving the Way for a Sustainable Future' at the world body's headquarters here. The week will feature dedicated events focused on sustainability in critical sectors such as tourism, infrastructure connectivity, transport, energy and debt. The reality is that sustainability has to be the anchor for development in the 21st century. Since we are talking about prioritizing people and the planet, the sustainability dimension of things lies at the very heart of everything we are seeking to do developmentally in the UN, Francis, President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, told PTI in an exclusive interview here. We have identified five key areas or .

UNGA Prez Francis lauds digitalisation, infrastructure investment in India

UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis has lauded India's use of digitalisation that has helped achieve financial inclusion and poverty reduction, underlining that this gives the country a comparative advantage and its lessons can be shared with the global community. Let me say first of all that since I've been to India, every time I think of India, I think Incredible India'. And I mean this in all earnest .And I saw it when I was there. The specific example to which I can refer is India's use of digitalisation, Francis, President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly, told PTI in an exclusive interview here. He referred to the country's tourism tagline of 'Incredible India.' Francis was in India from January 22-26 this year on an official visit, during which he held a bilateral meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi and also travelled to Jaipur and Mumbai. During the visit, his interactions with government officials, civil society members a

India abstains in UNGA on Pakistan's draft resolution on Islamophobia

India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution introduced by Pakistan and co-sponsored by China on Islamophobia, asserting that the prevalence of religiophobia against Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other faiths facing violence and discrimination must also be acknowledged rather than singling out just one religion. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution Measures to combat Islamophobia', introduced by Pakistan on Friday, with 115 nations voting in favour, none against and 44 abstentions, including India, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the UK. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj voiced condemnation of all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia but asserted that it is crucial to acknowledge that such phobias extend beyond Abrahamic religions. Clear evidence shows that over decades, followers of non-Abrahamic religions have also been affected by religiophobia. This has led to the

Mumbai's liveliness, energy, pace of development inspiring: UNGA chief

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) president Dennis Francis on Friday said he was inspired by the liveliness, energy and pace of development in Mumbai and shared that he has watched Hindi movies. The visiting dignitary made the comments during his meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, a release from the CM Office said. UNGA is the main policy-making organ of the United Nations. Francis lauded the pace of infrastructure and housing development in Mumbai. Mumbai played an important part in India's industrialisation, he said. He recalled his country Trinidad and Tobago's close ties with India. He said the speaker's chair in the Trinidad assembly has been gifted by India, according to the release. The UNGA chief said he was a geography student and India was part of his studies. He said he has watched Hindi movies. Climate change is an important matter in Maharashtra, Shinde told Francis, elaborating that his government has taken steps like plastic ban, bamboo ...

President of UN General Assembly Francis to pay five-day visit to India

President of UN General Assembly Dennis Francis will kick-start a five-day visit to India beginning Monday during which New Delhi is expected to press him to make forward movement in long-pending reform of the Security Council. Besides holding talks with his Indian interlocutors in New Delhi, the top UN official will also travel to Jaipur and Mumbai. In Mumbai, Francis will pay floral tributes at the 26/11 memorial, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Saturday, announcing his visit from January 22-26. It said the visit by the President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly (PGA) to India will also be an opportunity to enhance the country's collaboration with the global body. "The PGA's visit to India presents a unique opportunity to strengthen India-UN ties and especially with the General Assembly, which is the most representative organ of the United Nations," the MEA said in a statement. The UN official is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with External Affair

UN Security Council caught in concerning state of paralysis: UNGA chief

The UN Security Council is caught in a "concerning state of paralysis" and aims to serve the predominance of Global North countries, UNGA President Dennis Francis has said, underlining the need for representation and equitable participation of developing nations in decision-making in a reformed Council. Underlining that reform is our collective task and responsibility, Francis said that as the President of the 78th session of the General Assembly, he believes that we need a Council that is more balanced, representative, responsive, democratic and transparent. As conflicts seem to be spreading across the globe, the Security Council whose primary responsibility is to maintain international peace and security, however, seems caught in a concerning state of paralysis, Francis said. With its unsatisfactory discharge of its crucial mandate, the Council is perceived as falling short of its mandate, consequently, compromising the credibility of the entire UN itself, he said. Francis was ..

India votes in favour of UNGA resolution on immediate ceasefire in Gaza

India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution demanding immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, a shift in New Delhi's stance about two months after it abstained on a text that had called for truce in the Israel-Hamas conflict. "India has voted in favour of the resolution just adopted by the General Assembly, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj said after the vote on Tuesday. "We welcome the fact that the international community has been able to find a common ground to address the multiple challenges facing the region right now," she said. The 193-member UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted the draft resolution Protection of civilians and upholding legal and humanitarian obligations' at an emergency special session, with 153 nations voting in favour, 10 against and 23 abstentions. The resolution was adopted amid a round of applause in the General Assembly hall. Those voting against included Austria, Israel and the US while Germany, Hungary,

Palestinians hope vote in UNGA will show wide support for a Gaza cease-fire

The Palestinians are hoping that a vote Tuesday in the UN General Assembly on a nonbinding resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire will demonstrate widespread global support for ending the Israel-Hamas war, now in its third month. After the United States vetoed a resolution in the Security Council on Friday demanding a humanitarian cease-fire, Arab and Islamic nations called for an emergency session of the 193-member General Assembly on Tuesday afternoon to vote on a resolution making the same demand. Unlike Security Council resolutions, General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding. But as UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Monday, the assembly's messages "are also very important" and reflect world opinion. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, told The Associated Press on Sunday that the defeated resolution in the Security Council was cosponsored by 103 countries, and he is hoping for more cosponsors and a high vote for the .

India supports resolution demanding Israel's withdrawal from Syrian Golan

India has voted in favour of a draft resolution in the UN General Assembly that expressed deep concern over Israel not withdrawing from the Syrian Golan. The Syrian Golan is a region in southwest Syria that was occupied by Israeli forces on June 5, 1967. The 193-member UN General Assembly voted on the draft resolution The Syrian Golan' under agenda item The situation in the Middle East' on Tuesday. The resolution, introduced by Egypt, was adopted by a recorded vote with 91 in favour, eight against and 62 abstentions. Apart from India, those voting in favour of the resolution included Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Malaysia, Maldives, Nepal, Russia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates. Australia, Canada, Israel, the UK and the US voted against it. The resolution said it is deeply concerned that Israel has not withdrawn from the Syrian Golan, which has been under occupation since 1967, contrary to the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. The ...

India absent from voting on resolution to build better world through sports

India did not participate in voting on a UN General Assembly resolution on building a peaceful and better world through sport and recognising the role of sports in preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism as well as promoting human rights. The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the draft resolution Building a Peaceful and Better World through Sport and the Olympic Ideal' tabled by France on Tuesday. The resolution has been traditionally adopted by consensus but this year, Russia called for a recorded vote on the text for it to be adopted. Of the 193 UN member states, 120 voted in the UNGA on the resolution, which received 118 votes in favour and none against, with Russia and Syria abstaining. India was among the 73 nations that were absent from voting on the resolution. The resolution recognised the contribution of sports in creating an atmosphere of tolerance and understanding among peoples and nations, its role to prevent and counter terrorism and violent ..

UN crumbling under weight of 21st-century geopolitical shifts: India

The UN apparatus, especially the Security Council, is crumbling under the weight of 21st-century geopolitical realities, India has said, underlining that the General Assembly should take the lead in restoring the centrality of the United Nations to resolve transnational issues through multilateralism. India has consistently advocated the view that the General Assembly can be revitalised only when its position as the chief deliberative, policy-making and representative organ of the United Nations is respected both in letter and in spirit, Counsellor in India's Permanent Mission to the UN Pratik Mathur said here Tuesday. Addressing the UN General Assembly plenary meeting on Revitalisation of the Work of the General Assembly', Mathur said: We must admit that some of the blame lies with the General Assembly and its member states for having allowed its relevance to be diluted despite being the collective voice of all nations. He noted that there is a growing perception" that the General

UN General Assembly votes against US' economic, trade embargo against Cuba

The resolution is titled the "necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba"

No tolerance for terror

India's UNGA vote on the Arab League resolution was appropriate

Terrorism a 'malignancy', knows no borders: India tells UNGA on Israel war

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

India abstains on UNGA resolution calling for humanitarian truce in Israel

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 ...

Israel-Hamas conflict: Violence not pathway to resolution, says UNGA prez

The UNGA President also reiterated that the United Nations is willing to play the role of diplomatic negotiator hoping combatants will realise the importance of dialogue

Global acceptance of Taliban depends on respecting women's rights: US Envoy

According to Amiri, officials delivered a clear message: The Taliban must respect Afghan and women's rights to be part of the international community, according to Khaama Press

LIVE: Breaking curfew, mob tries to attack Manipur CM's ancestral house

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India strives to be developed country in next 25 years of Amrit Kaal: EAM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that in the next 25 years, the country's Amrit Kaal as espoused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India will strive to be a developed country and it is logical" that it also seeks to be a global power. Jaishankar, speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations here on Tuesday, said India is now the fifth largest economy in the world, obviously your interests are more, your responsibilities are more, your contributions are more. The minister added that there will be many more countries and regions with which you are linked. So one part of it I would say really flows from the growth, from the rise of India. You actually see an India today whose footprint is more, whose interests and activities are more. The second is really the structure of the world itself. We have seen particularly over the last maybe four or five years in many ways, more openings, the nature of world politics has changed, he said, adding that the issues have changed, ...

From Canada to Manipur: Here's what S Jaishankar said in New York

Jaishankar said that the Indian side will take action if the Canadian side provides specific information in connection with Hardeep Singh Nijjar's killing