Page 23 - United Nations

Gravely concerned by dramatic escalation of events in Beirut, says UN Chief

The remarks by Guterres follow Israeli airstrikes in Beirut that led to the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah

Russia condemns West during UNGA speech; invokes nuclear capacity

Russia's top diplomat warned Saturday against trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, delivering a UN General Assembly speech packed with condemnations of what Russia sees as Western machinations in Ukraine and elsewhere including inside the United Nations itself. Three days after Russian President Vladimir Putin aired a shift in his country's nuclear doctrine, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accused the West of using Ukraine which Russia invaded in February 2022 as a tool to try to defeat" Moscow strategically, and preparing Europe for it to also throw itself into this suicidal escapade. I'm not going to talk here about the senselessness and the danger of the very idea of trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power, which is what Russia is, he said. The specter of nuclear threats and confrontation has hung over the war in Ukraine since its start. Shortly before the invasion, Putin reminded the world that his country was one of the most powerful nuclear states, and h

This is only 'karma': EAM S Jaishankar slams Pakistan in UNGA address

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday said Pakistan's cross-border terrorism will never succeed and its actions will "certainly have consequences", stressing that it is "karma" that the country's ills are now consuming its own society. In his address to the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, Jaishankar also said that the issue to be resolved between India and Pakistan is now only the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory by Pakistan, and the abandonment of its long standing attachment to terrorism. Many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control, but some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences. A premier example is our neighbour, Pakistan, he said. Today we see the ills it (Pakistan) sought to visit on others consume its own society. It can't blame the world. This is only karma, he said. Jaishankar said Pakistan's cross border terrorism policy will never succeed, and it can have no expectation

China, at UN, warns world against 'expansion of battlefield' in Ukraine war

Three days before his communist government turns 75, China's foreign minister warned fellow leaders Saturday against an expansion of the battlefield in Russia's war with Ukraine and said the Beijing government remains committed to shuttle diplomacy and efforts to push the conflict toward its end. The top priority is to commit to no expansion of the battlefield. ... China is committed to playing a constructive role," Wang Yi said. He warned against other nations throwing oil on the fire or exploiting the situation for selfish gains, a likely reference to the United States. Wang's speech appeared to break no new ground, as is generally China's recent practice at the UN General Assembly's annual meeting of leaders. In fact, his boss, Chinese President Xi Jinping, has not participated in the leaders' meeting since 2021 and then only virtually, during the pandemic. Xi has not attended in person for several years. On Friday, on the assembly sidelines, China and Brazil sought to build ...

Israel to keep 'degrading Hezbollah' until objectives met, says Netanyahu

Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu signalled to the world from the United Nations on Friday that the multiple conflicts in the Middle East were far from resolved, and he vowed to continue battling the Lebanese Hezbollah and defeat Hamas in the Gaza Strip until total victory". Shortly after the prime minister spoke, blasts rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut and the Israeli military said it had struck Hezbollah's headquarters. The exact target wasn't immediately clear, but it appeared to be significant enough to prompt Netanyahu to cut short his trip to New York by a day and make unusual travel on the Jewish Sabbath to get home. Israel has every right to remove this threat and return our citizens to their home safely. And that's exactly what we're doing, Netanyahu said, eliciting applause from supporters in the gallery of the General Assembly. We'll continue degrading Hezbollah until all our objectives are met, he said. Netanyahu spoke as international mediation efforts were underway t

Protests erupt outside UN headquarters as Muhammad Yunus addresses UNGA

Slogans of terrorist, minority killer, Hindu killer Yunus, go back, step down were raised outside UN headquarters in New York

UNGA meet: India reaffirms commitment to social determinants of health

India reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to improving social determinants of health during the G20 Joint Finance-Health Task Force (JFHTF) High-Level Meeting held at the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, a Union health ministry statement said on Friday. The session was centred on "prioritising investments in the health sector advancing the development and implementation of debt-for-health swap arrangements and the role of social determinants of health", it said. Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel, who was a lead speaker at the event, highlighted the "Role of Social Determinants of Health in Supporting Health Investments Priorities", and how leveraging debt-for-health swaps can directly address the SDH. She also underscored the crucial intersection of health and finance in mitigating the impact of future health emergencies and alleviating economic burdens, the statement said. During the event, Patel emphasised the significance of addressing core SD

Pakistan PM Sharif raises Article 370, Kashmir issue in UNGA address

Pakistan on Friday raised the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in the UN General Assembly, saying India should reverse the abrogation of Article 370 and enter into a dialogue with it for a peaceful resolution of the issue. Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his address at the General Debate of the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, raked the issue of Jammu and Kashmir, as expected, making references to Article 370. In an over 20 minute speech, Sharif spoke at length about Kashmir saying that similarly, like the people of Palestine, the people of Jammu and Kashmir too, have struggled for a century for their freedom and right to self determination. Referring to India's decision to abrogate Article 370, Sharif said to secure durable peace, India must reverse the unilateral and illegal measures of August 2019 and "enter into a dialogue for a peaceful resolution" of the Jammu and Kashmir issue in accordance with the UN Security resolutions and "the wishes of the Kashmiri ...

Jaishankar meets UN Chief, discusses Pact for Future, climate action

Sharing a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, Always a pleasure to speak with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

Leader of Palestinian Authority denounces Israeli Gaza offensive at UN

Mahmoud Abbas used the rostrum of the U.N. General Assembly as he typically does - to criticize Israel

UN chief criticises divided UNSC for failure of leadership to end wars

The United Nations chief sharply criticised the powerful but deeply divided Security Council at a high-level meeting on Wednesday for a failure of leadership to end wars in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and beyond. Peace demands action. And peace demands leadership, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the 15-member council charged with ensuring international peace and security. Instead, we're seeing deepening geopolitical divisions and mistrust. He pointed to repeated violations of the UN Charter and international law, conflicts multiplying and becoming more deadly, and civilians paying the steepest price. The council has been blocked from any action on Ukraine because Russia is a veto-wielding member and a party to the conflict invading its neighbour in violation of the UN Charter, which requires all members to ensure the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other nations. It has been stymied in taking tough action on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza because of Israel's close ally

G4 nations stress comprehensive UNSC reform essential for UN's future

They gathered to evaluate the current state of the multilateral system and discuss potential reforms to UNSC

Baloch human rights council demands UN intervention in Balochistan

They demanded that those responsible for crimes against humanity be brought to justice at an international court

COP hosts aim for 33% increase in combined oil and gas production by 2035

Azerbaijan, the UAE, and Brazil -- the past, current, and next hosts of the UN climate conference -- are set to increase their combined oil and gas production by 33 per cent by 2035, contradicting their commitments to lead global efforts for stronger climate action, according to a new analysis. The analysis, compiled by the US-based research and advocacy group Oil Change International using industry data, shows that the UAE and Brazil are on track to increase production by 37 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively, by 2035. Azerbaijan, which will host COP29 in Baku in November, is projected to see a four per cent rise in production. At the last UN climate summit in Dubai in November-December 2023, leaders made a historic commitment to transition away from fossil fuels, triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030. Oil Change International said that the ongoing expansion of oil and gas investments undermines these commitments. Earlier this week, the ...

$8 trn opportunity in sustainable cooling for developing economies: Report

The cooling market in developing economies is expected to grow from around USD 300 billion to USD 600 billion, at least, per year by 2050, according to a new report. The report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)-led Cool Coalition and International Finance Corporation (IFC) said the fastest growth in cooling is expected in Africa, which will see the market multiply by a factor of seven, and South Asia, which will quadruple in size. The report titled "Cooler Finance: Mobilizing Investment for the Developing World's Sustainable Cooling Needs" also called for prioritising passive, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and economically viable cooling solutions. It said that about two thirds of emissions related to cooling in 2022 came from developing countries and this share could grow above 80 per cent by 2050. This is due to population growth, economic expansion, and urbanisation. The report found that sustainable cooling technologies can slash cooling-related emissions by

Netanyahu to address UN as Israel, after one war, barrels toward another

From the dais of the UN General Assembly just a year ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu triumphantly hailed a new peace he said would sweep through the Middle East. A year later, as he travels back to that same world stage, that vision is in tatters. The devastating war in Gaza is about to hit the one-year mark. Israel is on the cusp of a wider regional war with the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. And the country finds itself increasingly isolated internationally and led by a polarising leader whose handling of the conflict has sparked protests both in global capitals and on the streets of his own country. And it's not just the mushrooming regional conflicts weighing Israel down. Netanyahu will head to New York burdened also by what could be an imminent warrant for his arrest by the International Criminal Court, what would put him in a fellowship of sorts with Russian President Vladimir Putin and former Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir. He arrives almost at a point o

Zelenskyy calls for unspecified global 'action' to force Russia into peace

Ukraine's president dismissed the notion of peace talks with Moscow on Tuesday, calling instead for unspecified global action to force Russia into peace for invading his country and to comply with the UN Charter's requirement that every country respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all other nations. Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the UN Security Council that Russian President Vladimir Putin is committing an international crime and has broken so many international rules that he won't stop on his own. And that's why this war can't simply fade away. That's why this war can't be calmed by talks, Zelenskyy said at a meeting on the sidelines of the annual gathering of world leaders at the General Assembly. Russia can only be forced into peace, and that is exactly what's needed forcing Russia into peace as the sole aggressor in this war, the sole violator of the UN Charter. The high-level meeting on the more than 2-year war in Ukraine was attended by ministers from 14 of the ...

Here's what to know from UN: Biden stops by and Gaza takes spotlight

The world's leaders gathered in New York for the beginning of their annual meeting at the UN General Assembly. Let's just say the vibe was pretty grim. Leader after leader spoke of the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, climate problems, exclusion from UN decision making, poor nations struggling to feed their populations. I cannot recall a time of greater peril than this, said King Abdullah II of Jordan. A few speakers, including US President Joe Biden, tried to push a message of hope for the future. "We are stronger than we think. We are stronger together than alone," Biden said. "And what the people call impossible is just an illusion. But the US was the target of much veiled criticism for acting unilaterally on the response to the Gaza war: Impunity was the word of the day. Here's your daily guide to what's going on at the United Nations this week, day by day: From the podium WAR IN GAZA: Many delegates focused their speeches on the war in Gaza. Jordan's Abdullah said Israel's

Iran wants to play 'constructive role' in world affairs: Pezeshkian to UN

Iran's new president signalled to world leaders Tuesday that he wants to open a constructive chapter in his country's international relations but he made clear that everyone else, including the United States, needs to do their part. In his first speech at the UN General Assembly's annual gathering of world leaders, Masoud Pezeshkian struck a somewhat more measured tone than his predecessors often have in recent years. I aim to lay a strong foundation for my country's entry into a new era, positioning it to play an effective and constructive role in the evolving global order, said Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon who ran as a reformer. He took office in July. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opened the door last month to renewed negotiations with the United States over his country's rapidly advancing nuclear programme, telling Iran's civilian government there was no harm in engaging with its enemy. The United States, under former President Donald Trump, withdrew in 2018 fr

Peace still possible in conflicts in Middle East, Ukraine: Biden in UN

President Joe Biden declared the U.S. must not retreat from the world, as he delivered his final address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday as Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon edged toward all-out war and Israel's bloody operation against Hamas in Gaza neared the one-year mark. Biden used his wide-ranging address to speak to a need to end the Middle East conflict and the 17-month-old civil war in Sudan and to highlight U.S. and Western allies' support for Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. His appearance before the international body also offered Biden one of his last high-profile opportunities as president to make the case to keep up robust support for Ukraine, which could be in doubt if former President Donald Trump, who has scoffed at the cost of the war, defeats Vice President Kamala Harris in November. Still, Biden insisted that despite global conflicts, he remains hopeful for the future. I've seen a remarkable sweep of history," Biden said. I kno