Page 2 - United Nations

Brics or UN is a 'false choice', group supports UN reform: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that choosing between groupings such as BRICS and the United Nations is "a false choice", emphasising that smaller groups are supportive of the global organisation and would like to see it reformed. "I think it's a false choice. The UN is the UN. It may have many shortcomings. It also has many achievements, and obviously, when you want to reform it, when you want to change it, it's natural to focus on the shortcomings. But I don't think that should lead us to be dismissive of the UN," Jaishankar said. The minister was addressing a session titled 'Ruptures & Ramparts: Building Bridges for a Changing World' organised on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly by the Observer Research Foundation, Reliance Foundation, UN in India and the Permanent Mission of India to the UN here Thursday. Participating in the session, moderated by ORF President Samir Saran, were Jamaica's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade ..

Jaishankar signs UN cybercrime convention, meets Russia's Lavrov at UNGA

The External Affairs Minister said the pact would strengthen international cooperation for a safer digital future; he also reviewed India-Russia ties with Lavrov on the sidelines of UNGA

Frustrations mounting among nations over lack of UN reforms: Jaishankar

Frustrations are mounting among the international community over the lack of UN reforms, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, asserting that those opposing them are "using" the world organisation and "don't care" about it. Jaishankar said that while the issue of reforming the UN has been a regular theme every year as nations gather in New York for the annual General Assembly sessions, but "I feel it's getting stronger." "The frustrations are mounting because at the end of the day, if we are serious about reform, we need some text-based negotiation because you can't have a negotiation without a text. Then it's not a negotiation. Then it's just gaining time." He underlined that the "sentiment for reform, I do think, is deepened." Jaishankar addressed a Ministerial session titled 'Ruptures & Ramparts: Building Bridges for a Changing World' organised on the margins of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly by the Observer Research Foundation, Reliance Foundation, UN ..

Tech leaders to UN: For the sake of humanity, please control AI

They also called for the world to make sure that the power of AI isn't concentrated in one company or country.

EAM S Jaishankar flags a '4F' crisis: Fuel, food, fertiliser, finance

At the inaugural P4M Summit, Jaishankar called for stronger multilateralism to address the fuel, food, fertiliser and finance crisis and other global challenges

UK test-fires US torpedo from undersea drone ahead of Burnham-Trump meet

The UK has test-fired a US torpedo from an undersea drone in a symbolic boost for maritime ties in time for Prime Minister Andy Burnham's first meeting with US President Donald Trump in New York on Tuesday. Downing Street said the Plymouth-made drone was used in the first such test firing of an anti-submarine weapon -- jointly developed by the US and Australia -- as part of the AUKUS programme. The heavyweight torpedo is designed to sink ships and deep-diving submarines launched from a 12-metre-long undersea UK-made drone named Excalibur. "The firing, which happened in UK waters last week, marks the first time either country had launched a torpedo from an undersea uncrewed vessel, rather than a crewed submarine. It marks a major advance in the future of submarine technology for the UK, US, and Australia, and delivers a significant breakthrough for Euro-Atlantic security and NATO's undersea advantage. "This will build on the next generation technology already being developed through

World leaders meet at UN amid wars, AI risks, questions over relevance

World leaders gather in New York for the UN General Assembly with conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, artificial intelligence risks and the future of the multilateral body high on the agenda

UN appoints US official Luke Lindberg as World Food Program chief

The United Nations announced the appointment Friday of US agriculture official Luke Lindberg to head the World Food Program, the UN food agency that calls itself "the world's frontline responder to hunger" in conflicts, crises and emergencies around the world. Lindberg, the son-in-law of Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is now the US Department of Agriculture's undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs. He will replace Cindy McCain as executive director of the Rome-based World Food Program. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Food and Agriculture Organization Director-General Qu Dongyu made the joint announcement after WFP's board confirmed it agreed with the appointment. Lindberg, 37, will take the helm of WFP as it struggles to raise money to help feed tens of millions of people in need. The agency, which relies on donations, says as many as 266 million people are facing acute hunger, but it is aiming to help just 110 million this year because of funding ..

Women leadership gap a hurdle in development goals, says UN report

At the current rate of growth, equal rights and opportunities for women will not be achieved for another 171 years, UN Women report says

Preparing to leave office, UN chief reflects on a world beset by problems

The world is deeply divided and the UN's most powerful body is paralysed when it comes to ending conflicts. But there's a way forward. So says the United Nations' top official. On his way out of office at year's end after nearly a decade, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres - known for doom-and-gloom speeches about the state of the planet - said Thursday he finds hope and possibility in the coming years. But that, he says, is only if the world's governments can finally cooperate on curtailing conflict, upending inequality and grappling with the arriving juggernaut of artificial intelligence. "I believe in a number of fundamental things that need to be done, and need to happen for the world to be better - and I'm determined to fight to make those things happen," Guterres told The Associated Press in a sit-down interview four days before world leaders convene for their annual meeting at the UN General Assembly. His message to leaders and ministers from the UN's 193 member nations .

Russia, China veto US proposal to extend UN monitoring of Iran sanctions

Russia and China vetoed a United Nations resolution Thursday that would have authorized UN experts to keep monitoring sanctions that were reimposed against Iran last year over its nuclear program. The UN Security Council sanctions are still in effect, which freeze Iran's assets abroad, halt arms deals with Tehran and penalize any development of Iran's ballistic missile program, among other measures. Using a provision in the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers France, Germany and the United Kingdom triggered the "snapback" mechanism, which reimposed the sanctions on September 27, 2025. It restored the Security Council sanctions committee and authorized a panel of UN experts to monitor implementation. The United States drafted a resolution to extend the UN expert panel's mandate for a year, coming as America also pursues a wider campaign to isolate Tehran from its remaining economic partners as the more than six-month-old war in Iran has hit a stalemate. The proposal was .

Architects of 9/11 weren't hiding in caves: India flags Pak's terror haven

In a scathing attack on Pakistan, India has said the "architects" of the 9/11 attacks were not hiding in "caves or badlands," but had long evaded detection, asserting that the same "permissive environment" continues to support terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting, India's Permanent Representative Harish Parvathaneni invoked the history of the September 11, 2001 attacks. He said al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed were eventually found in settled communities rather than remote hideouts. "The international community supported the global campaign to counter terrorism in the wake of 9/11. Let us not forget, however, that al-Qaeda's terror ecosystem established its strategic depth beyond Afghanistan through its affiliates," Parvathaneni said on Wednesday. Addressing the UNSC meeting on the situation in Afghanistan, Parvathaneni listed the names of al-Qaeda leaders who had planned and perpetrated the

UN chief urges AI rivals to cooperate, warns against 'race on safety'

The United Nations chief urged global competitors in artificial intelligence on Wednesday to cooperate in addressing threats from the technology, warning that "the world cannot afford a race to the bottom on AI safety." Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said concerns raised by those on the frontlines of AI technology that its development "is racing ahead of our understanding of the risks" can't be ignored. Governments must assume their first responsibility to protect civilians from AI threats, which means "national action is essential," Guterres told UN reporters. "But global coordination is also indispensable." "We need guardrails to build trust - and that make AI safe, transparent, accountable, with human dignity at the center." Guterres was referring to a proposal from Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, to ensure AI safety by coordinating a slowdown in its development by leading technology companies and governments. OpenAI's Sam Altman, SpaceXAI's Elon Musk and other prominent ..

UN rights chief warns unchecked AI can pose 'existential risk' to humanity

UN rights chief Volker Turk has called for binding rules, independent oversight and safeguards for AI, warning that technological power is concentrated in the hands of a few

'Correct the map': Why Africa wants to redraw its image on world maps

The African Union has endorsed the 'Correct the Map' campaign to replace the Mercator map projection with alternatives such as the Equal Earth map

Nepal's request for flood payout tests UN's new climate-aid system

Nepal is seeking compensation for climate change-related damages from a United Nations fund set up to help developing nations deal with the worst impacts of global warming

UN-backed world map must show J-K, Ladakh as per India's official map: MEA

India on Sunday said a UN-initiated proposed world map must depict Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in accordance with the country's official map, and any "inaccurate" or "misleading" representation will be unacceptable. New Delhi's assertion came two days after it voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution aimed at correcting the world map to promote a more accurate representation of continental landmasses. The resolution titled "Correct the Map: Rebalancing Global Cartographic Representation and Promoting Equitable Representation of the World's Regions, Particularly Africa" was adopted on September 4. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India highlighted that the resolution does not constitute endorsement of any specific map, projection or depiction of national boundaries. "India voted in favour of the resolution and also made an explanation of vote stressing on the underlying principle of promoting equal - area cartographic ...

India backs UNGA resolution declaring Nov 27 as day against child marriage

India has co-sponsored a resolution in the UN General Assembly proclaiming November 27 every year as the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. The 193-member UN General Assembly on Friday adopted by consensus the resolution titled 'International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage' led by Sierra Leone. India was among the nations that joined as co-sponsors of the resolution. It was on November 27, 2024 that the 'Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat', also known as Child Marriage Free India, campaign was launched in the country, aiming to reduce the prevalence of child marriage by 10 per cent by 2026 and make India child marriage free by 2030. The issue was also championed by Sierra Leone's First Lady and President of the Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD) Fatima Maada Bio and Just Rights for Children Founder Bhuwan Ribhu, who had initiated the international call for a dedicated global day to end child ...

Earth will soon exceed safe temperature threshold: United Nations

Earth is soon going to exceed the safe temperature threshold agreed upon by the world in the 2015 Paris climate accord because of warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas

UNEP says 1.5°C warming breach is inevitable, urges rapid emissions cuts

UNEP says the amount of warming the world sees will depend on how quickly countries cut greenhouse gas emissions