Page 2 - United Nations

Trump’s global exit plan: Why the US is leaving 66 organisations | US News | Trump tariffs

US President Donald Trump has signed a memorandum directing the United States to withdraw from 66 international organisations, including 31 UN bodies.

Why Trump has moved US out of India-led International Solar Alliance

The US will withdraw from 31 UN organisations and 35 non-UN entities, including the International Solar Alliance, which is jointly led by India and France

Renowned ecologist, Champions of Earth recipient Madhav Gadgil dies at 83

Noted ecologist Madhav Gadgil, known for his work on the Western Ghats, has passed away in Pune after a brief illness, family sources said on Thursday. He was 83. Gadgil breathed his last late Wednesday night at a hospital in Pune, the sources said. In 2024, the United Nations presented Gadgil with the annual Champions of the Earth award, the UN's highest environmental honour, for his seminal work on the Western Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot. Gadgil had chaired the government-constituted Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel to study the impact of population pressure, climate change, and development activities on the ecologically fragile region in India.

Trump signs order to withdraw US from 66 international organisations

Trump has signed an order to withdraw US from 66 international organisations, saying they undermine American sovereignty, waste taxpayer money and promote agendas that conflict with national interests

UN debates US Venezuela strike as countries warn against law violations

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting Monday after an audacious US military operation in Venezuela over the weekend to capture leader Nicolas Maduro, with the United Nations' top official warning that America may have violated international law. Before the UN's most powerful body, both allies and adversaries blasted President Donald Trump's intervention and him signalling the possibility of expanding military action to countries like Colombia and Mexico over drug trafficking accusations. He also reupped his threat to take over the Danish territory of Greenland for the sake of US security interests. In a statement, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he is deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the 3 January military action. He added that the grave action by the US could set a precedent for how future relations between nations. Denmark, a fellow member of NATO with jurisdiction over the vast mineral-rich island of ..

Deep concern over instability in Venezuela after US action: UN chief

Highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the country's future, he added, "What is less certain is the immediate future of Venezuela"

UN chief slams US actions in Venezuela, says it sets dangerous precedent

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has voiced his concern over the escalation between the US and Venezuela culminating in the capture of the country's President Nicols Maduro, saying the developments constitute a dangerous precedent. The secretary general is deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today's United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region, a statement issued by his spokesperson said on Saturday. Guterres said that independently of the situation in Venezuela, these developments constitute a dangerous precedent and said he is deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected. Maduro and his wife have been indicted by federal authorities in New York on charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to possess destructive devices against the US. In an extraordinary development, President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social in the early hours of Saturday that t

UN clears 7% reduced budget for 2026 as US arrears strain finances

The US usually contributes 22% of the UN's regular budget, but the Trump administration has not paid the $826 million bill for 2025 and it still owes some $660 million in arrears

In a first, UN chief Guterres issues 2026 New Year message in Hindi, Urdu

In a first, UN chief has issued his New Year's message for the year 2026 in Hindi, among other languages, calling on world leaders today to invest in development, not destruction. Antonio Guterres' New Year message has been issued in 11 languages, including in the six official UN languages of Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish as well as Hindi and Urdu. His video message on the occasion has been issued with Hindi subtitles as well. In an urgent appeal for the new year, Secretary-General Guterres called on world leaders today to get priorities straight and invest in development, not destruction. As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads. Chaos and uncertainty surround us, Guterres said in his message for 2026 Monday. People everywhere are asking: Are leaders even listening? Are they ready to act? He said the scale of human suffering in the world today is staggering - over one-quarter of humanity lives in areas affected by conflict. More than 20

US pledges $2 bn for UN aid as Trump warns agencies must 'adapt or die'

The United States on Monday announced a USD 2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump's administration slashes U.S. foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies they must adapt, shrink or die in a time of new financial realities. The money is a small fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is still a generous amount that will maintain America's status as the world's largest humanitarian donor. This new model will better share the burden of U.N. humanitarian work with other developed countries and will require the U.N. to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability and oversight mechanisms, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media. The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to agencies and priorities, a key part of U.S. demands for drastic changes across the U.N. that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led t

US pledges $2 bn for UN humanitarian aid as Trump slashes funding

The United States on Monday announced a $2 billion pledge for UN humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump's administration continues to slash US foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies to adapt, shrink or die in a time of new financial realities. The money is a small fraction of what the US has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is a generous amount that will maintain the United States' status as the world's largest humanitarian donor. The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to individual agencies and priorities, a key part of US demands for drastic changes across the world body that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led to severe reductions in programs and services. The $2 billion is only a sliver of traditional US humanitarian funding for UN-backed programs, which has run as high as $17 billion annually in recent years, according to UN data. US officials say only $8-$10 billion of that has be

UN turns 80 facing crisis of relevance as India readies for greater role

The UN marked its 80th anniversary in 2025 amid global conflicts, financial crisis, and US President Donald Trump's criticism, as India urged the world body to focus on "leadership and hope" and expressed willingness to take on a greater role. The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, along with several others around the world from Sudan to Myanmar, raged unabated in 2025, yet again highlighting the ineptitude of the UN and its powerful, but polarised, Security Council in addressing global challenges. As nations continue to grapple with humanitarian emergencies, climate chaos and economic inequality, questions are raised over the relevance of the UN and whether the 80-year-old organisation, founded in 1945, has solutions for the problems of a world in flux in the 21st century. Against this backdrop, India gave a clarion call for reformed multilateralism. Addressing world leaders from the UN General Assembly podium in September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar stressed that an ...

Islamic State-Khorasan spokesperson arrested by Pak authorities: UN report

Pakistani authorities this year arrested Sultan Aziz Azzam, a spokesperson for Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), according to a recent report submitted to the UN Security Council. The UN 16th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team noted that IS-K's ability to operate in the region had been degraded as a result of high-profile arrests by Pakistan, such as that of Azzam this May. IS-K is an abbreviation for the Islamic StateKhorasan Province, a terrorist organisation active primarily in Afghanistan, Central Asia and South Asia. The state-run Associated Press of Pakistan and PTV News stated that intelligence agencies arrested Azzam during an operation near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The UN report claimed that following his arrest, IS-K propaganda arms, such as the Al-Azaim Foundation, had suffered a major blow. Overall, the capability of [IS-K] has been degraded as a result of counter-terrorism operations, the UN report read. Key [IS-K] commanders and ...

UN aid agency cuts appeal for 2026 to $33 bn after lowest annual support

The UN's humanitarian aid coordination office is downsizing its appeal for annual funding in 2026 after support this year, mostly from Western governments, plunged to the lowest level in a decade. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Monday it was seeking $33 billion to help some 135 million people cope with fallout from wars, climate disasters, earthquakes, epidemics and food shortages. This year, it took in $15 billion, the lowest level in a decade. The office says next year it wants more than $4.1 billion to reach 3 million people in Palestinian areas, another $2.9 billion for Sudan home to the world's largest displacement crisis and $2.8 billion for a regional plan around Syria. In 2025, hunger surged. Food budgets were slashed even as famines hit parts of Sudan and Gaza. Health systems broke apart," said OCHA chief Tom Fletcher. "Disease outbreaks spiked. Millions went without essential food, healthcare and protection. Programs to prote

Japan rebuts China's 2nd letter to UN as spat over Taiwan keeps simmering

The letter follows on from China's second missive to the UN complaining about Japan after Takaichi said last month that a Chinese attack on Taiwan could mean a survival-threatening situation for Japan

AI's impact could worsen gaps between world's rich and poor: UN report

Behind the hoopla over the promise of artificial intelligence lay difficult realities, including how such technology might affect people already disadvantaged in a data-driven world. A new report by the United Nations Development Programme notes most of the gains from AI are likely to be reaped by wealthy nations unless steps are taken to use its power to help close gaps in access to basic needs, as well as such advanced know-how. The report released Tuesday likens the situation to the Great Divergence of the industrial revolution, when many Western countries saw rapid modernisation while others fell behind. Questions over how companies and other institutions will use AI are a near universal concern given its potential to change or replace some jobs done by people with computers and robots. But while much of the attention devoted to AI focuses on productivity, competitiveness and growth, the more important question is what it will mean for human lives, the authors note. It's an is

UN urges Washington to keep doors open to asylum seekers after DC attack

The comments mark a further escalation of migration measures Trump has ordered since the shooting on Wednesday that investigators say was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the Us in 2021

UN begins search for next secretary general as Guterres' term nears end

New candidates can emerge at any time, with the next secretary general taking office in January 2027

COP30 wrap: 6 major takeaways from global climate negotiations 2025

Two weeks of talks in the rainforest city of Belem, Brazil, served as a rebuttal of sorts to the idea that climate multilateralism is no longer viable