Page 4 - United Nations

2 women in race for UN chief as push grows for 1st female Secretary-General

Two women leaders are in the fray to become the next Secretary General of the UN, nominated along with two male candidates, amid a growing call for the first female to be elected as head of the global organisation in its 80-year-old history. The process to elect the next Secretary General of the United Nations gets underway this month with the four nominated candidates for the post participating in interactive dialogues scheduled to be held at the UN Headquarters on April 21 and 22. UN chief Antonio Guterres, the former Prime Minister of Portugal and former United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, will complete his second five-year term as head of the global organisation in December 2026. He had assumed office in 2017 as the ninth Secretary General of the UN, an organisation that has never seen a female leader at its helm in 80 years of its existence. Vying for the top job at the UN are former Chilean President and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle ..

UNSC set to vote on watered-down proposal to open Strait of Hormuz

The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote Friday on a proposal to secure the Strait of Hormuz after it was significantly watered down in the face of opposition from China and Russia about allowing force to reopen the critical waterway that Iran has largely cut off to global shipping. The final draft of Bahrain's resolution, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, authorises the use of defensive - but not offensive - action to ensure vessels can safely transit the strait. One-fifth of the world's oil typically passes through the waterway where Iran's stranglehold during the war has sent energy prices soaring. Bahrain's initial draft resolution would have allowed countries "to use all necessary means" - UN language that would include possible military action - "in the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman" to secure passage and deter attempts to interfere with navigation. Russia, China and France, all veto-wielding countries of the 15-member Security Council, had ...

India condemns attack that killed two UNIFIL peacekeepers in south Lebanon

According to a statement issued by UNIFIL, the incident occurred near Bani Hayyan in Southern Lebanon, resulting in the deaths of two peacekeepers, while a third one sustained severe injuries

Iran to 'facilitate and expedite' humanitarian aid through Strait of Hormuz

An Iranian envoy says Tehran will "facilitate and expedite" humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz. Ali Bahreini, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Friday that Tehran has accepted a request from the world body to allow the safe passage of humanitarian aid and agriculture shipments through the critical waterway. "This measure reflects Iran's continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need without delay," Bahreini said in a post on X. The statement comes hours after the UN announced a task force to address the ripple effects the Iran war has had on the passage of aid.

India's neonatal deaths decline by 70% in 34 years: Nadda hails UN report

India has emerged as a key contributor to global progress in reducing child mortality, according to the latest United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report 2025

We need to recognise we have problem with Security Council: UN chief

In a sharp critique, UN chief Antonio Guterres said there is a need to recognise "we have a problem with the Security Council", which does not reflect the current world and is not allowed to stop conflicts because of the use of veto by its permanent members. "I think we need to recognise that we have a problem with the Security Council. The Security Council today no longer represents the world as the world exists. It represents the world after 1945," Guterres said at a press conference in Beirut on Saturday in response to a question. He pointed out that three permanent members of the 15-nation Council are from Europe, one from Asia, and one is the United States, while there are no permanent members from Africa or Latin America. Even from Asia, that "obviously is a continent with an enormous weight in global population and global wealth", there is just one permanent member - China. "And so, the Council has a problem of legitimacy and a problem of efficiency because of the vetoes. An

UN peacekeeper lightly injured in firing near base in southern Lebanon

Apparent fire from a heavy machine gun sparked a blaze at the UN peacekeeping force position near the village of Mais al-Jabal when a UN peacekeeper was hurt on his way to a shelter in Lebanon. Kandice Ardiel, a spokeswoman for the UNIFIL peacekeeping force, said it launched an investigation and reminds all actors of their obligations to ensure the safety and security of peacekeepers at all times. UN positions in southern Lebanon have been hit several times during exchanges of fire between Israel and Hezbollah, including on March 6 when three peacekeepers were wounded at a UNIFIL base.

Climate change hits women hardest, funding support inadequate: UNGCNI

Climate change has serious impacts from a gender perspective, yet the capital flowing toward supporting women affected by it represents only a small fraction of what is required, a top representative of the United Nations Global Compact Network India (UNGCNI) said. In an interview with PTI Videos, Vaishali Nigam Sinha, president of UNGCNI, emphasised the need to recognise the vital role women play in climate-related disaster management and to reduce the impacts of climate change on their lives through targeted investment. "During climate-related disasters, women are significantly more likely to be affected. It is important to protect and support women when addressing climate-related impacts. However, when we look at the capital flowing toward helping women affected by climate change, it is only a small fraction of what is required -- about 10 per cent," Sinha told PTI. In 2025, a UN women report warned that under a worst-case climate scenario, up to 158.3 million more women and girl

Mayyu Ali's memoir examines how innocuous processes can be political acts

Mayyu Ali's terrifying yet hopeful memoir makes one think about how seemingly innocuous processes like birth registration are loaded with political significance

Melania Trump chairs UNSC meeting on children in conflict amid Iran crisis

US first lady Melania Trump presided over a UN Security Council meeting on Monday focusing on children in conflict, one of her signature issues, at a turbulent time as the United States has joined Israel in attacking Iran. She was the first spouse of a world leader to take the president's seat at the United Nations' most powerful body, which is charged with ensuring global peace and security, according to the UN. The wife of President Donald Trump was given the opportunity as the United States takes over the council presidency for the month of March. In the past, presidents, prime ministers and foreign ministers have often wielded the gavel. The first lady arrived at UN headquarters in a motorcade and was greeted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. She shook hands with each of the 15 Security Council members and posed for a group photo. The rotating president of the council gets to choose the subject and participants for some meetings. Monday's meeting, which was scheduled .

Explained: What is the Strait of Hormuz and why it is vital for oil trade

Tensions in West Asia have put the Strait of Hormuz in focus; here's what this narrow sea route is, why it is crucial for global oil and gas supplies and how any disruption can affect prices worldwide

World leaders urge de-escalation as US-Israel war against Iran intensifies

France seeks an urgent UN Security Council meeting, the EU calls for maximum restraint, Canada and Australia back the US, while Spain rejects what it calls unilateral military action

Unable to confirm Iran has suspended all uranium enrichment: UN watchdog

Iran has not allowed the United Nations nuclear watchdog to access nuclear facilities affected by the 12-day war in June, according to a confidential report by the UN nuclear watchdog circulated to member states and seen Friday by The Associated Press. The report stressed that therefore the agency "cannot verify whether Iran has suspended all enrichment-related activities," or the "size of Iran's uranium stockpile at the affected nuclear facilities.

Afghanistan sets lighter penalty for wife-beating than animal fights

A new penal code issued by decree in Afghanistan sets harsher punishments for the mistreatment of animals than for domestic violence against women and solidifies into law inequality based on gender and social status. The decree, which was signed by Afghanistan's Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in January, "defines several crimes and punishments that contravene Afghanistan's international legal obligations," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Thursday in remarks to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He urged Afghan authorities to rescind the decree. Comprised of 119 articles, the 60-page Decree No. 12 lays out penalties for women who visit their relatives without their husband's permission, and allows husbands and the heads of households to determine and mete out punishment in their own homes. "It provides for the use of corporal punishment for numerous offences, including in the home, legitimising violence against women and children," Turk said. "And it ..

India abstains from UNGA vote calling for ceasefire between Russia, Ukraine

Other abstaining nations included Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States

US pays $160 million of $4 billion it owes to UN, Trump promises more funds

The United States has paid about USD 160 million of the nearly USD 4 billion it owes the United Nations, the UN said Thursday, and President Donald Trump promised more money to the financially strapped world organization. The Trump administration's payment last week is earmarked for the UN's regular operating budget, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told The Associated Press. The UN has said the United States owes USD 2.19 billion to its regular budget, including USD 767 million for this year, as well as USD 1.8 billion to a separate budget for the far-flung UN peacekeeping operations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned late last month that the world body faces "imminent financial collapse" unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States. He said in a letter to all member nations that cash for the regular budget could run out by July, which could dramatically affect UN operations. U.N. ...

AI is an accelerator, not replacement for humans: WFP's Magan Naidoo

AI is helping humanitarian agencies move faster, cut costs and reach more people - but cannot solve hunger on its own, says Magan Naidoo, chief data officer of the United Nations World Food Programme

COP30 objectives align with Mumbai Climate Week initiative: UNFCC official

A few objectives from the UN Conference of the Parties (COP) that align with Mumbai Climate Week are the ideas that the climate agenda needs to be connected to people, especially the most vulnerable, and accelerating climate-action agreements through engagement with all stakeholders, a COP30 official said. In an interview to PTI Videos at the Mumbai Climate Week (MCW), Chief Strategy and Alignment Officer for the COP30 Presidency, Tulio Andrade, stated that the opening plenary session carried a strong message that the climate transition is not only here to stay but is also a defining future trend, something also reflected at COP30. "There are two objectives from COP30 that we think align with Mumbai Climate Week. First, the idea that the climate agenda needs to be connected to people, especially the most vulnerable, to combat poverty and hunger. Second, accelerating climate-action agreements through engagement with businesses, the private sector, financial centres, and other ...

UN Women calls for greater female participation in building AI tools

Women account for just 30 per cent of AI professionals worldwide and hold only 16 per cent of AI research roles, UN Women said on Tuesday, calling for greater female participation in building artificial intelligence tools to better reflect women's needs in health, finance, climate resilience, and safety. Speaking at the launch of the AI Casebook on Gender and Agriculture at India AI Summit here, UN Women Regional Director for Asia Pacific Christine Arab said the underrepresentation of women in AI development was creating systemic bias in the technology. Arab noted that a "persistent design gap" remains globally, warning that fewer women building AI systems means fewer products that reflect women's realities. "When women are missing from design tables, the test labs, the term sheets -- bias doesn't emerge by accident. It becomes the default," she said. Arab praised India for its efforts to address the gender gap in AI, saying the country "stands among the very few globally who are .

India's contribution to agenda of world community is vital for us: Guterres

India's permanent contribution to the agenda of the international community and that of the UN is of "enormous importance for us", the UN chief has said, as he pointed to a "positive mega trend" of the increasingly enhanced roles of developing economies like India in the world. These remarks were made by Secretary General Antonio Guterres, who will be heading to New Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit, the first-ever summit on Artificial Intelligence hosted in the Global South. "India became an extremely important leader in the discussions on all aspects of the activities of the UN, in peace and security, sustainable development, where I remember the G20 presided by India, the very important decisions that were taken there," Guterres told PTI in an exclusive interview here. "And also in human rights as a democratic country in a world where, unfortunately, we see democracy in trouble in so many parts of the world," Guterres said. To a question on India's role at the UN, Guter