Page 13 - United Nations

Brazil COP to push for Global Ethical Stocktake, transition policies

Brazilian Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, said COP30 will also come up with roadmap to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy and double energy efficiency

Women's rights under threat 30 years after equality plan adopted, says UN

Thirty years after world leaders adopted a historic blueprint to achieve gender equality, a new United Nations report says women's and girls' rights are under attack and gender discrimination remains deeply embedded in economies and societies. The report released Thursday by the UN agency focused on women's rights and gender equality found that nearly one-quarter of governments worldwide reported a backlash to women's rights last year. Despite some progress, including on girls' education and access to family planning, UN Women said a woman or girl is killed every 10 minutes by a partner or family member and that cases of conflict-related sexual violence have increased by 50% since 2022. The report, released ahead of International Women's Day on Saturday, also noted that only 87 countries have ever been led by a woman. Globally, women's human rights are under attack, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we're seeing the ...

Regulating an uncertain climate: Who controls geoengineering fixes?

UNEP has estimated that if current trends and policies continue, warming by the end of the century is likely to be somewhere between 1.9 and 3.1 degrees Celsius

Bangladesh experienced 'paroxysm of violence' last year: UN rights chief

The anti-government protests, led by students, ended Hasina's over 15-year-old rule in August last year. Hasina fled to India following her ouster

UN rights chief concerned over 'fundamental shift' in US under Trump

Turk's speech to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva are his strongest remarks so far on the impact of the new US administration's policies

Japan won't join UN meeting on nuclear weapons ban, backs US' deterrence

Japan will not attend a UN conference on the treaty banning nuclear weapons, a top government official in Tokyo said Monday, noting US nuclear deterrence is crucial to the country's security and that its participation would send the wrong message". Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan's national security is the primary reason it will not participate as an observer at the conference, which starts Monday in New York. Under the severe security environment, nuclear deterrence is indispensable to defend the people's lives and assets, as well as Japan's sovereignty and peace, Hayashi told reporters. Japan's participation as an observer at the conference would send a wrong message about the Japanese policy (supporting) nuclear deterrence and interfere with our effort in security, peace and safety. The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons was approved in 2017 and went into force in 2021 following a decades-long campaign aimed at preventing a repeat of the US atom

India hosts first 'Global South' meet on women in UN peacekeeping

Deployed women comprise 0.8 per cent of India's troops for UN peacekeeping, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institution

Human rights suffocated by autocrats, warmongers, says UN chief Guterres

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says human rights are being suffocated around the world, lashing out at voices of division and anger who see them as a barrier to their quest for power and profit. In a speech to the Human Rights Council, Guterres decried Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine that marked its third anniversary Monday, appealed for a permanent cease-fire between Palestinian militants and Israel, and urged respect for Congo's territorial integrity, among other things. While reiterating many of his concerns about conflict and climate change, the U.N. chief said he would propose new ideas to the Security Council aimed to bring greater stability and security for the people of Haiti, where a multinational security support mission has been deployed. Guterres depicted a world where human rights were on the ropes and being pummeled hard" by warmongers, a morally bankrupt global financial system" that favors profits over planet protections, those who might exploit artificial

Mandaviya, ILO DG Houngbo discuss collaboration to enhance labour welfare

Mandaviya expressed India's commitment to workforce resilience aligning with Viksit Bharat 2047 and G20 priorities

UN vote to demand Russian troops leave Ukraine, US seeks softer approach

On the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the UN General Assembly is expected to vote Monday on duelling resolutions Ukraine's European-backed proposal demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from the country and a US call for a swift end to the war that never mentions Moscow's aggression. The United States pressured the Ukrainians to withdraw their nonbinding resolution in favour of its proposal, a US official and a European diplomat said Sunday. But Ukraine refused, and it will be put to a vote in the 193-nation assembly, two European diplomats said. All spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private. It's a reflection of the tensions that have emerged between the US and Ukraine after President Donald Trump suddenly opened negotiations with Russia in a bid to quickly resolve the conflict. It also underscores the strain in the transatlantic alliance with Europe over the Trump administration's extraordinary turnaround on engagement with ..

US pressures Ukraine to drop UN resolution for Russian troop withdrawal

The US has pressured Ukraine to withdraw its European-backed UN resolution demanding an immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine in favour of an American proposal that does not mention Moscow's invasion, a US official and a European diplomat said Sunday. But Ukraine refused to pull its draft resolution, and the UN General Assembly will vote on it Monday, the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, two European diplomats said. The 193-nation General Assembly then is expected to vote on the U.S. draft resolution, according to the diplomats and the US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because private negotiations are still ongoing. The Trump administration is also seeking a vote on its proposal in the more powerful UN Security Council. The 15-nation council will meet Monday afternoon on Ukraine, and late Sunday it scheduled the vote immediately afterward, but the European diplomats said it could be pushed to Tuesday at Russia's request. The duelling .

India key to UN peacekeeping, its women peacekeepers vital: Chief Lacroix

India remains a cornerstone of UN peacekeeping and its women peacekeepers have demonstrated that missions with greater female representation improve operational outcomes and contribute to lasting peace, the United Nations peacekeeping chief has said. UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix will visit New Delhi this week to attend the conference Enhancing the Role of Women in Peacekeeping: A Global South Experience' being organised by India on February 24-25. India remains a cornerstone of UN peacekeeping and Indian women peacekeepers are redefining peacekeeping itself," Lacroix told PTI in an exclusive interview here. Noting that it's a privilege" to attend the conference in India, Lacroix said the gathering would bring together women officials from about 50 countries in the Global South to discuss the evolving challenges in peacekeeping and the critical role women play in advancing peace and security. More women in peacekeeping means a more effective ..

US offers UN resolution on Ukraine war that falls short of EU statement

The United States has proposed a draft UN resolution that stops far short of a competing European-backed statement demanding an immediate withdrawal of all of Moscow's forces from Ukraine. Both are timed to the third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which falls on Monday, when the UN General Assembly will vote on the nonbinding resolutions. It sets up a clash between the United States and Europe as the strength of the transatlantic alliance has been called into question over the Trump administration's extraordinary turnaround on Russia, opening negotiations with Moscow after years of isolation as the US looks to broker a rapid end to the war. European leaders were dismayed that their officials and those from Ukraine weren't invited to preliminary US-Russia talks last week in Saudi Arabia. The very short US draft resolution offers mourning for "the tragic loss of life throughout the Russia-Ukraine conflict" and "implores a swift end to the conflict and further urges a ...

Russia planning to interfere in upcoming Central African Republic polls: UK

The United Kingdom on Thursday accused Russia of planning to interfere in upcoming elections in the Central African Republic and the US alleged that Moscow was seeking to steal the gold and diamond-rich country's resources. Russia's deputy United Nations ambassador Anna Evstigneeva responded by telling the UN Security Council, "It is surprising that our US and UK colleagues continue whipping the dead horse of their campaign to smear the Russian Federation." Central African Republic, known as CAR, has been in conflict since 2013, when predominantly Muslim rebels seized power and forced then-President Franois Boziz from office. It is one of the first African countries in which Kremlin-backed Wagner mercenaries established their operations on the pledge of fighting rebel groups and bringing back peace and Moscow's government and military ties have grown. UN special envoy for CAR Valentine Rugwabiza told the council that upcoming local, legislative and presidential elections are "a ..

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 has been victim of terror acts perpetrated by Pakistan: UN envoy

He also emphasised the democratic choice made by the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the legislative Assembly elections

Hindi spoken by 600 mn, holds vital importance for UN, says official

Hindi, with a speaker base of 600 million, is of vital importance for the United Nations, a top official at the world organisation has said. The Permanent Mission of India to the UN commemorated World Hindi Day at its premises here on Thursday with the theme of Multilingualism and the Promotion of Hindi abroad'. Minister of State for Women and Child Development Savitri Thakur, the Guest of Honour at the event, in her address highlighted that India has a multilingual and multicultural social fabric. She noted that several initiatives are being undertaken to make Hindi a more popular language and recognition by the United Nations will make it a global language, according to a press release by the Mission. UN Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications Melissa Fleming said that Hindi with a speaker base of 600 million is of vital importance for the United Nations. She noted that the 'Hindi@UN' project and various social media updates are bringing activities of the United Nation

Terror group ISIL unable to mount large-scale attacks in India: UN

Terror group Islamic State was unable to mount large-scale attacks in India but its handlers tried to incite lone-actor attacks through supporters based in the country, a UN report has said. According to the 35th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIL (Da'esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities, these terror groups and affiliates remained resilient and adaptable to external counter-terrorism pressure. Aided by less centralised organisational structures, the threat they posed remained undiminished. ISIL (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) is a terrorist group that aims to establish a caliphate in West Asia. It's also known as the Islamic State and Da'esh. ISIL (Da'esh) was unable to mount large-scale attacks in India. However, its handlers tried to incite lone-actor attacks through India-based supporters. The pro-ISIL (Da'esh) Al-Jauhar Media continued to spread anti-India propaganda through its publication Serat ul-Haq, the

IS-K rising? UN warns of global chaos as Pakistan fires back at US

The UN has warned of global chaos as Pakistan fires back at the US amid growing concerns over the Afghanistan-based terror group's expanding threat

HIV infections likely to surge 6-fold if US support ends: UNAIDS chief

The head of the UN AIDS agency said on Monday the number of new HIV infections could jump more than six times by 2029 if American support of the biggest AIDS programme is dropped, warning that millions of people could die and more resistant strains of the disease could emerge. In an interview with The Associated Press, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said HIV infections have been falling in recent years, with just 1.3 million new cases recorded in 2023, a 60 per cent decline since the virus peaked in 1995. But since President Donald Trump's announcement the US would freeze all foreign assistance for 90 days, Byanyima said officials estimate that by 2029, there could be 8.7 million people newly infected with HIV, 6.3 million AIDS-related deaths and an additional 3.4 million children made orphans. We will see a surge in this disease, Byanyima said, speaking from Uganda. This will cost lives if the American government doesn't change its mind and maintain its leadership, she .