Page 2 - United Nations

COP30 starts with call for faster action, more togetherness, but without US

UN climate negotiations were expected to begin on Monday at a meeting on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon, with leaders pushing for urgency, cooperation and acceleration after more than 30 years fighting to curb global warming by drastically reducing the carbon pollution that causes it. Andre Correa do Lago, president of this year's conference, known as COP30, emphasised that negotiators engage in mutirao, a Brazilian word derived from an Indigenous word that refers to a group uniting to work on a shared task. Either we decide to change by choice, together, or we will be imposed change by tragedy, Lago wrote in his letter to negotiators on Sunday. We can change. But we must do it together. Complicating the calls for togetherness is the United States. The Trump administration did not send high-level negotiators to the talks and is withdrawing for the second time from the 10-year-old Paris Agreement, which is being celebrated as a partial achievement here in Belem. The United States

Datanomics: As COP30 nears, why India is set to miss 2030 emission target

As COP30 begins in Brazil, new data shows India's emissions rising faster than its 2030 targets - though still far below major economies on a per capita basis

World food prices fall for second consecutive month in Oct, UN's FAO says

The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks a basket of globally traded food commodities, averaged 126.4 points in October, down from a revised 128.5 in September

UN approves US-backed effort to lift sanctions on Syria's president

The UN Security Council on Thursday voted to lift a series of sanctions on Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa and members of his government days before he is set to arrive in the US for a historic visit to the White House. The US resolution to drop UN sanctions tied to al-Sharaa and Syria's interior minister, Anas Hasan Khattab, stemming from their ties to the al-Qaida militant group, was adopted with 14 members in support. China abstained from the vote. With the adoption of this text, the council is sending a strong political signal that recognises Syria is in a new era since Assad and his associates were toppled in December 2024, Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, said in his statement after the vote, referring to longtime autocratic leader Bashar Assad. American officials pushed to pass the resolution before Monday, when President Donald Trump is expected to host al-Sharaa in the first visit by a Syrian president to Washington since the country gained independence in ...

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

COP30 Brasil: India seeks green dollars as Gates mutes climate doom

As COP30 heads to Belem, India aims to push finance and tech for the Global South - but will it bring real capital or just more promises and targets?

'End human rights violations in occupied areas': India slams Pakistan at UN

India told the UN that Pakistan must stop human rights abuses in its occupied areas, reaffirmed Kashmir as part of India, and called for real reforms at the UN to make it more effective

Houthis detain two UN staffers, raid homes in Yemen amid operational review

Houthi rebels detained two additional United Nations staff members and raided the homes of several others in Yemen over the last 48 hours, the latest in a series of events now forcing the world body to reassess how it operates in the war-torn country. The detainment of two staffers was confirmed by Farhan Haqq, the deputy U.N. spokesperson, on Friday. Three officials with the World Food Program confirmed the raids on the homes of Yemeni staff and the U.N. facility took place on Thursday and Friday. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak on the matter. Since 2021, the de facto authorities have taken a number of steps that have made it increasingly difficult for the UN to provide assistance to Yemenis," Haqq told reporters. "These actions are forcing us to reassess the way in which we work in areas controlled by the Houthis. The detainment marks the latest in a series of escalations by the armed group against both national and ...

EAM S Jaishankar slams UN's inaction on terrorism, calls for reform

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday criticised the UN's decision-making, calling it polarised and gridlocked, and raised concerns over its credibility and response to terrorism

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

COP30 in Brazil faces world at its hottest and most divided on climate

As COP30 opens in Brazil, record CO₂ levels and faltering global leadership leave climate goals in peril, testing the world's resolve to act on its promises

UN today still reflects realities of 1945, not of 2025: EAM Jaishankar

The United Nations today "still reflects the realities of 1945, not of 2025", External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday, even as he asserted that for the UN to be effective, it must reform, becoming more inclusive, democratic, participative and representative of the current world. In his address at the concluding day of the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries' (UNTCC) Chiefs Conclave here, he also said the nature of conflicts have transformed with the "rise of non-state actors" and with asymmetric warfare. The EAM underscored the need to "recalibrate" global peacekeeping efforts in tune with evolving realities. He also called for decisions on peacekeeping mandates to be taken in close consultation with all stakeholders, including troop-contributing and host nations. In his address, he recalled about his recent visit to New York to attend the 80th UN General Assembly. "Let me share with you some key insights of that experience. One, the United Nations today st

India backs two-state solution at NAM meet on Palestine in Kampala

Minister of State for External Affairs highlighted India's ongoing development cooperation and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian people

CO2 levels hit record high in 2024, driving more extreme weather: UN agency

The UN weather agency said Wednesday that carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere hit new record highs last year, and heat trapped by such greenhouse gases is turbo-charging the Earth's climate and causing more extreme weather. The World Meteorological Organisation said in its latest bulletin on greenhouse gases that C02 growth rates have now tripled since the 1960s, and emissions from human activities and more wildfires helped fan a vicious climate cycle." The Geneva-based agency said the increase of the global average concentration of carbon dioxide from 2023 to 2024 amounted to the highest annual level of any one-year span since measurements began in 1957. The heat trapped by CO2 and other greenhouse gases is turbo-charging our climate and leading to more extreme weather," said WMO Deputy Secretary-General Ko Barrett in a statement. "Reducing emissions is therefore essential not just for our climate but also for our economic security and community well-being, The increase in 202

India stands firm in upholding international rules-based order: Rajnath

The Union Minister said that thousands of Indians are committed to the idea of peacekeeping under the UN flag since it remains an article of faith and not merely an act of choice

COAS highlights challenges in global peacekeeping amid rising conflicts

Flagging the concern over the global order, General Dwivedi noted that shifting power dynamics are harming the consensus in the United Nations, leading to a lack of cohesive action

Trump's rebranding of climate change is aimed more at global regime change

Trump's UN address targets global discontent, framing climate action as elite-driven, turning science into a political wedge for ideological gain

UNAIDS releases short film 'Ghotul' to mark International Day of Girl Child

Marking the 'International Day of the Girl Child', UNAIDS has released Ghotul, a short film inspired by indigenous Gond traditions that reimagines conversations around gender, sexuality, and equality among adolescents. Directed by Shashanka Bob' Chaturvedi, the 12-minute film draws from the Gond Muria tradition of 'ghotuls' -- communal learning spaces where elders guide adolescents through open discussions about love, intimacy, and responsibility. Far from being taboo, these practices embody egalitarian values that promote dignity, awareness, and mutual respect. By knowing the facts and educating young people about their sexual health, we can help them feel safe and stay safe, said UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima. It is written by author and gender practitioner Shruti Johri, conceptualised by advertising executive Swati Bhattacharya, and shot by award-winning cinematographer Tassaduq Hussain, known for "Omkara" and "Kaminey". The film features Indira Tiwari of "Serious Me

US, Venezuela clash at emergency UN meeting over strikes in Caribbean

The United States clashed with Venezuela and its allies at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, with the Trump administration vowing to use its full might to eradicate drug cartels and the Maduro government saying it anticipates an armed attack. Venezuela asked for the meeting of the UN's most powerful body following deadly US military strikes on four boats that Washington says were carrying drugs. Venezuela accused US President Donald Trump of seeking to topple President Nicols Maduro and threatening peace, security and stability regionally and internationally. The Trump administration has said three of the targeted boats set out to sea from Venezuela. The strikes, which the US said killed 21 people, followed a buildup of US maritime forces in the Caribbean unlike any seen in recent times. The belligerent action and rhetoric of the U.S. government objectively point to the fact that we are facing a situation in which it is rational to anticipate that in the ve

UN to cut 25% of its global peacekeeping force amid US funding strains

The United Nations will begin slashing its peacekeeping force and operations, forcing thousands of soldiers in the next several months to evacuate far-flung global hotspots as a result of the latest US funding cuts to the world body, a senior UN official said. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a private meeting, briefed reporters Wednesday on the 25 per cent reduction in peacekeepers worldwide as the United States, the largest UN donor, makes changes to align with President Donald Trump's America First vision. Around 13,000 to 14,000 military and police personnel out of more than 50,000 peacekeepers deployed across nine global missions will be sent back to their home countries. That comes as the UN plans to cut about 15 per cent of the peacekeeping force's USD 5.4 billion budget for next year. The decision to institute a major overhaul of the peacekeeping force known globally for their distinctive blue berets or helmets followed a meeting Tuesday ...