United Nations General Assembly

Zelenskyy questions UN's effectiveness, says weapons decide survival

The Ukrainian leader underscored that the decisive factor in the war with Russia would be weapons rather than legal frameworks

UN escalator halts with Trump, Melania on it; White House demands probe

Following escalator mishap incident, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt took to X, calling for an investigation into whether UN employees deliberately stopped the escalator

Trump to highlight foreign policy record in speech at UN general Assembly

Watched by the world, President Donald Trump returns to the United Nations on Tuesday to deliver a wide-ranging address on his second-term foreign policy achievements and lament that globalist institutions have significantly decayed the world order, according to the White House. World leaders will be listening closely to his remarks at the UN General Assembly as Trump has already moved quickly to diminish US support for the world body in his first eight months in office. Even in his first term, he was no fan of the flavour of multilateralism that the United Nations espouses. After his latest inauguration, he issued a first-day executive order withdrawing the US from the World Health Organisation. That was followed by his move to end US participation in the UN Human Rights Council, and ordering up a review of US membership in hundreds of intergovernmental organisations aimed at determining whether they align with the priorities of his America First agenda. There are great hopes for i

UN General Assembly 2025: World leaders meet amid Gaza, Ukraine crises

Assembly comes at a time of heightened international tensions, with Israel's military campaign in Gaza and Russia's war in Ukraine likely to feature prominently in speeches and diplomatic meetings

World leaders convene at UNGA amid global crises and mounting challenges

World leaders begin convening Monday at one of the most volatile moments in the United Nations' 80-year history, and the challenges they face are as dire as ever if not more so: unyielding wars in Gaza and Ukraine, escalating changes in the US approach to the world, hungry people everywhere and technologies that are advancing faster than the understanding of how to manage them. The United Nations itself, which emerged from World War II's rubble on the premise that nations would work together to tackle political, social and financial issues, is in crisis itself. As Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said last week: "International cooperation is straining under pressures unseen in our lifetimes. Yet the annual high-level gathering at the UN General Assembly will bring presidents, prime ministers and monarchs from about 150 of the 193 UN member nations to UN headquarters. The secretary-general says it is an opportunity that can't be missed even in the most challenging of moments. We

Jaishankar to meet US Secretary of State Rubio for bilateral talks today

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will meet US Secretary of State Marco Rubio here on Monday for bilateral discussions, as the high-level 80th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) kicks in. This will be the first face-to-face meeting between Rubio and Jaishankar following President Donald Trump's imposition of an additional 25 per cent tariff on India for Delhi's purchases of Russian oil, taking the total levies imposed on India by the Trump White House to 50 per cent. According to the daily schedule issued by the State Department on Sunday, Rubio will meet Jaishankar in New York City on Monday morning. They had last met in July in Washington DC for the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting. The bilateral meeting comes on the same day India and the US will hold discussions towards achieving an early conclusion of a trade agreement. A delegation led by Union Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal will meet with the US side on Monday in the city. "The delegation plans to t

Ukraine war fallout, fuel prices hurting Global South: India at UNGA

India has voiced regret over the Ukraine conflict's collateral consequences, including prices of fuel, saying countries of the Global South have been left to fend for themselves, as Delhi underscored that diplomatic efforts hold the promise to end the war and bring lasting peace. India continues to remain concerned over the situation in Ukraine. We maintain that the loss of innocent lives is unacceptable, and no solution can be found on the battlefield, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Parvathaneni Harish, said Thursday. Addressing the UN General Assembly debate on The situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine', Harish said India continues to "note with regret that the collateral consequences of the conflict, including prices of fuel, is affecting the world at large and particularly the countries of the Global South, which have been left to fend for themselves. From our perspective, it is critical that their voices are heard, and their ...

What to expect at UN meeting on Israel-Palestinian two-state solution?

The UN General Assembly is bringing high-level officials together this week to promote a two-state solution to the decades-old Israel-Palestinian conflict that would place their peoples side by side, living in peace in independent nations. Israel and its close ally the United States are boycotting the two-day meeting, which starts Monday and will be co-chaired by the foreign ministers of France and Saudi Arabia. Israel's right-wing government opposes a two-state solution, and the United States has called the meeting counterproductive to its efforts to end the war in Gaza. France and Saudi Arabia want the meeting to put a spotlight on the two-state solution, which they view as the only viable road map to peace, and to start addressing the steps to get there. The meeting was postponed from late June and downgraded from a four-day meeting of world leaders amid surging tensions in the Middle East, including Israel's 12-day war against Iran and the war in Gaza. It was absolutely necessa

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

UN adopts resolution on Afghanistan's Taliban rule despite US objections

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on Monday over US objections calling on Afghanistan's Taliban rulers to reverse their worsening oppression of women and girls and eliminate all terrorist organizations. The 11-page resolution also emphasises the importance of creating opportunities for economic recovery, development and prosperity in Afghanistan, and urges donors to address the country's dire humanitarian and economic crisis. The resolution is not legally binding but is seen as a reflection of world opinion. The vote was 116 in favour, with two the United States and close ally Israel opposed and 12 abstentions, including Russia, China, India and Iran. Since returning to power in Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures, banning women from public places and girls from attending school beyond the sixth grade. Last week, Russia became the first country to formally recognize the Taliban's government. Germany's UN Ambassador Antje Leendertse, whose count

India abstains from UN resolution on Afghanistan, calls for end of terror

The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Afghanistan to uphold human rights, adhere to international law and take decisive action against terrorism amid a worsening humanitarian crisis

UNGA set to push for two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict

The United Nations chief on Thursday urged world leaders and officials attending an upcoming UN conference on ending the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict to keep the two-state solution alive. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that the international community must not only support a solution where independent states of Palestine and Israel live side-by-side in peace but materialize the conditions to make it happen. France and Saudi Arabia are co-chairing the conference, which the U.N. General Assembly is holding from June 17 to June 20 in New York. French President Emmanuel Macron will attend and other leaders are expected, but Israel will not be there. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the creation of a Palestinian state, a position that was overwhelmingly adopted by Israel's parliament in a vote last year. We won't be taking part in a conference that doesn't first urgently address the issue of condemning Hamas and returning all of the .

UN adopts resolution demanding Russia to withdraw troops from Ukraine

The UN General Assembly approved a Ukrainian resolution Monday demanding an immediate withdrawal of all Russian troops from Ukraine on the third anniversary of the invasion. The vote in the 193-member world body, whose resolutions are not legally binding but are seen as a barometer of world opinion, was 93-18 with 65 abstentions. That's lower than previous resolutions, which saw over 140 nations condemn Russia's aggression and demand a reversal of its annexation of four Ukrainian regions. The European-backed Ukrainian resolution was approved ahead of a vote on a dueling US proposal that calls for a swift end to the war but never mentions Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa said her country is exercising its inherent right to self-defense following Russia's invasion, which violates the UN Charter's requirement that countries respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other nations. As we mark three years of this ..

World Day of Social Justice 2025: Date, theme, history and significance

The World Day of Social Justice is celebrated on Feb 20th every year. Building equal societies is crucial since social issues are threatened by severe injustices and widespread labor instability

India experienced remarkable transformation in last decade: UNGA Prez Yang

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

India reaffirms commitment to make efforts for 'revitalisation' of UNGA

P Harish also noted that the UN's effectiveness in addressing global issues, especially amid ongoing conflicts, would depend on the revitalization of the General Assembly

UN General Assembly asks court to say what Israel needs to provide in Gaza

The UN General Assembly approved a resolution on Thursday asking the UN's highest court to state what Israel's obligations are in Gaza and the West Bank to provide humanitarian assistance essential for the survival of Palestinian civilians. The vote on the Norwegian-sponsored resolution seeking an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice was 137-12, with 22 abstentions. The United States, Israel's closest ally, voted against the resolution. Resolutions in the 193-member General Assembly are not legally binding, though they do reflect world opinion. It follows the ICJ's condemnation of Israel's rule over lands it captured 57 years ago. In a non-binding opinion in July, the court said Israel's presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and called on Israel to end its occupation and halt settlement construction immediately. Thursday's resolution also follows Israeli laws passed in late October, which take effect in 90 days, that effectively ban the UN

India votes in favour of UN resolution for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and reiterated the demand for immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban. The 193-member General Assembly voted Wednesday at the 10th emergency special session to adopt the draft resolution Demand for ceasefire in Gaza', introduced by Indonesia. India was among the 158 nations that voted in favour of the resolution while nine member states, including Israel and the US, voted against it. Among the 13 nations that abstained were Albania and Ukraine. The resolution demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, to be respected by all parties, and further reiterates its demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. It demanded

UNGA seeks ceasefire in Gaza, backs UN agency helping Palestinian refugees

The UN General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and backing the UN agency for Palestinian refugees that Israel has moved to ban. The votes in the 193-nation world body were 158-9, with 13 abstentions to demand a ceasefire now and 159-9 with 11 abstentions in support of the agency known as UNRWA. The votes culminated two days of speeches overwhelmingly calling for an end to the 14-month war between Israel and the militant Hamas group. Israel and its close ally, the United States, were in a tiny minority speaking and voting against the resolutions. While Security Council resolutions are legally binding, General Assembly resolutions are not, though they do reflect world opinion. There are no vetoes in the assembly. The Palestinians and their supporters went to the General Assembly after the US vetoed a Security Council resolution on November 20 demanding an immediate Gaza ceasefire. It was supported by the council's 14 other ...

UNGA boosts global fight against illegal trade in cultural artefacts

It also acknowledged the devastating impact of illicit trafficking on cultural heritage in general, particularly in regions affected by conflicts