Page 41 - United Nations

Netanyahu cancels US trip in protest against UN's call for Gaza ceasefire

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled a planned visit to Washington by a high-level delegation to protest Monday's U.N. Security Council decision calling for an immediate cease-fire. The resolution passed 14-0 after the U.S. decided not to use its veto power and instead abstained. Netanyahu accused the U.S. of retreating from what he said had been a principled position by allowing the vote to pass without conditioning the cease-fire on the release of hostages held by Hamas. The Israeli delegation was to present White House officials with plans for an expected ground invasion of the strategic Gaza town of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinian civilians have sought shelter from the war.

Key India peers see sharper growth in services trade, shows data

India's services exports increased by 14 per cent between the third quarter of 2022 and Q3 of 2023

UN Security Council passes resolution demanding immediate ceasefire in Gaza

The United Nations Security Council on Monday demanded a ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramzan, its first demand to halt fighting. The United States abstained on the resolution, which also demanded the release of all hostages taken captive during Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack in southern Israel. But the measure does not link that demand to the cease-fire during Ramzan, which ends April 9.

UN to vote on resolution demanding cease-fire in Gaza during Ramadan

The UN Security Council is set to vote Monday on a resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The vote comes after Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution Friday that would have supported an immediate and sustained cease-fire in the Israeli-Hamas conflict. The United States warned that the resolution to be voted on Monday morning could hurt negotiations to halt hostilities by the US, Egypt and Qatar, raising the possibility of another veto, this time by the Americans. The resolution, put forward by the 10 elected council members, is backed by Russia and China and the 22-nation Arab Group at the United Nations. A statement issued Friday night by the Arab Group appealed to all 15 council members to act with unity and urgency and vote for the resolution to halt the bloodshed, preserve human lives and avert further human suffering and destruction. It is long past time for a cease-fire, the Arab Group said. Rama

Pakistan to bid for non-permanent seat on UN Security Council for 2025-26

Pakistan has formally launched its bid for a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term from 2025 to 2026, a media report said on Saturday with a promise to contribute meaningfully" to the council's mandate for international peace and security. Pakistan's Permanent Representative to UN Ambassador Munir Akram formally announced the cash-strapped country's candidacy at a reception organised in connection with Pakistan Day celebrations at the UN on Thursday, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. Seeking support from the international community for Pakistan's UNSC bid, Ambassador Akram expressed confidence in Pakistan's ability to "contribute meaningfully to the UNSC's mandate for international peace and security". The reception, which was held at the Pakistani Mission to the UN in New York, was attended by UN General Assembly (UNGA) President Dennis Francis, top diplomats from the UN permanent missions and others, the report said. The envoy emphasi

Global trade outlook positive, geopolitical uncertainties remain: UNCTAD

Global trade dipped 3% to $31 trillion in 2023 after peaking in 2022

UN to vote US resolution declaring immediate cease-fire in Gaza imperative

The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a United States-sponsored resolution declaring that an immediate and sustained cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza is imperative to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry Palestinians. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she was optimistic that the new, tougher draft resolution would be approved Friday by the 15-member council. The draft being put to a vote determines which is a council order the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire, with no direct link to the release of hostages taken during Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, which was in the previous draft. But it would unequivocally support diplomatic efforts to secure such a cease-fire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages. Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Moscow will not be satisfied with anything that doesn't call for an immediate cease-fire, saying it's

United Nations adopts first global artificial intelligence resolution

The nonbinding resolution, proposed by the United States and co-sponsored by China and over 120 other nations, also advocates the strengthening of privacy policies

UN to vote on its first resolution on AI, aimed at ensuring safety

The General Assembly is set to vote Thursday on what would be the first United Nations resolution on artificial intelligence, aimed at ensuring the powerful new technology benefits all nations, respects human rights and is safe, secure and trustworthy. The United States, which sponsored the resolution, has said it hopes the world body will adopt it by consensus, meaning it would have the support of all 193 UN member nations. US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that if the resolution is adopted it will be a historic step forward" in fostering the safe use of AI. The resolution would represent global support for a baseline set of principles for the development and use of AI and would lay out a path to leverage AI systems for good while managing the risks, he said in a statement to The Associated Press earlier in March. The draft resolution aims to close the digital divide between rich developed countries and poorer developing countries and make sure they are all at the ta

India criticises model for UNSC reform presented by Uniting for Consensus

India has criticised a model for the UN Security Council presented by the Uniting for Consensus group that includes Pakistan, saying it stands against the idea supported by a majority of member states to expand permanent and non-permanent seats and underscored that the world of the 21st century "desperately needs a UN 2.0". The UfC comprises Argentina, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Italy, Malta, Mexico, Pakistan, the Republic of Korea, San Marino, Spain, and Turkiye. China, a permanent member, and Indonesia are participating in the group as Observers. The UfC group is opposed to the creation of new permanent members in the Security Council. The UfC model entails a Security Council with 26 seats, with an increase only in the non-permanent, elected members. It proposes creating 9 new long-term seats with immediate re-election possibilities. Threats to international peace and security have become more complex, unpredictable and undefined. The world of the twenty-first century desperate

Guterres decries violence in Myanmar as military strikes kill 25 Rohingyas

Military airstrikes in western Myanmar killed at least 25 members of the country's Muslim Rohingya minority, including children, local media reported, prompting the UN chief to express concerns over the escalating violence. According to the reports, the airstrikes took place early on Monday morning and targeted the village of Thada, north of Minbya township in Rakhine state. The strikes also left another 25 people wounded. The military government had no immediate comment on the reports. UN Secretary-General Antnio Guterres expressed deep concern over "the deteriorating situation and escalation of conflict in Myanmar", according to a spokesperson. The UN chief "condemns all forms of violence and reiterates his call for the protection of civilians, including aid workers in accordance with international humanitarian law, for the cessation of hostilities, and humanitarian access," said Guterres' deputy spokesperson, Farhan Haq, in a statement on Monday. Myanmar's military is increasing

Earth on brink: UN issues red alert on climate change after record heat

The UN weather agency is sounding a red alert about global warming, citing record-smashing increases last year in greenhouse gases, land and water temperatures and melting of glaciers and sea ice, and warning that the world's efforts to reverse the trend have been inadequate. The World Meteorological Organisation, in a State of the Global Climate report released Tuesday, ratcheted up concerns that a much-vaunted climate goal is increasingly in jeopardy: That the world can unite to limit planetary warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) from pre-industrial levels. Never have we been so close albeit on a temporary basis at the moment to the 1.5 C lower limit of the Paris agreement on climate change, said Celeste Saulo, the agency's secretary-general. The WMO community is sounding the red alert to the world. The 12-month period from March 2023 to February 2024 pushed beyond that 1.5-degree limit, averaging 1.56 C (2.81 F) higher, according to the European

US seeks UN resolution calling on nations to ban nuclear weapons in space

The United States and Japan are sponsoring a UN Security Council resolution calling on all nations not to deploy or develop nuclear weapons in space, the US ambassador has announced. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting on Monday that "any placement of nuclear weapons into orbit around the Earth would be unprecedented, dangerous, and unacceptable". The announcement that the US and Japan had circulated a resolution follows White House confirmation last month that Russia has obtained a "troubling" anti-satellite weapon capability, although such a weapon is not operational yet. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared later that Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to those of the US. The Outer Space Treaty ratified by about 114 countries including the United States and Russia prohibits the deployment of "nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass ...

India slams Pakistan for references to Ayodhya, CAA at United Nations

India has slammed Pakistan and described it as a broken record that remains stagnant while the world progresses after Islamabad's envoy here made references to the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and Citizenship Amendment Act during remarks to the UN General Assembly. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said this while responding to comments made by Pakistan's Ambassador Munir Akram during the plenary meeting on Friday where the resolution Measures to combat Islamophobia', introduced by Pakistan, was adopted by the 193-member UN General Assembly. "One final point concerns a delegation (and its remarks) that, much like a broken record, remains sadly stagnant while the world progresses, she said. Akram made references to the consecration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya as well as to the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act. Kamboj said it is unfortunate indeed to witness this delegation's limited and misguided perspective on matters relating to my count

India abstains in UNGA on Pakistan's draft resolution on Islamophobia

India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution introduced by Pakistan and co-sponsored by China on Islamophobia, asserting that the prevalence of religiophobia against Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and other faiths facing violence and discrimination must also be acknowledged rather than singling out just one religion. The 193-member General Assembly adopted the resolution Measures to combat Islamophobia', introduced by Pakistan on Friday, with 115 nations voting in favour, none against and 44 abstentions, including India, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Ukraine and the UK. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj voiced condemnation of all acts motivated by anti-Semitism, Christianophobia and Islamophobia but asserted that it is crucial to acknowledge that such phobias extend beyond Abrahamic religions. Clear evidence shows that over decades, followers of non-Abrahamic religions have also been affected by religiophobia. This has led to the

Australia to restore funding for UNRWA, pledges to increase Gaza aid

Australia will restore funding to the United Nations relief agency for Palestinians, weeks after the agency lost hundreds of millions of dollars in support following Israeli allegations that some of its Gaza-based staff participated in the Oct. 7 attack. The Australian government also pledged Friday to increase aid for the besieged enclave, with Foreign Minister Penny Wong expressing horror at the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Australia's move follows Sweden, the European Commission and Canada in reinstating funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, which had seen its international funding frozen while the allegations were investigated. The best available current advice from agencies and the Australian government lawyers is that UNRWA is not a terrorist organization, Wong told reporters Friday in Adelaide while she announced the aid package. "(We have) been working with a group of donor countries and with UNRWA on the shared ...

Gaza war, Red Sea attacks may push Yemen back into war, says UN envoy

The longer the war in Gaza goes on and Yemen's Houthi rebels keep attacking ships in the Red Sea the greater the risk that Yemen could be propelled back into war, the UN special envoy for the poorest Arab nation warned on Thursday. Hans Grundberg told the UN Security Council it has been impossible to shield his promising efforts to restore peace to Yemen because the reality is, what happens regionally impacts Yemen and what happens in Yemen can impact the region. Since November, the Iranian-backed Houthis have targeted ships in the Red Sea to demand a cease-fire in Israel's offensive in Gaza. It began after Gaza's Hamas rulers launched a surprise attack in southern Israel on October 7 that killed about 1,200 people and led to about 250 others being taken captive. Israel's ongoing military operation has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry. The Houthi attacks targeting vessels since November, however, have increasingly had little or no connecti

World Consumer Rights Day 2024: History, Theme, Importance, and more

World Consumer Rights Day is marked on 15 March of every year. The day is observed for creating awareness about the rights of all consumers against fraud, discrimination, and other such practices

India shows progress on UN's HDI 2022, ranks 134 out of 193 countries

India's ranking on the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) improved by one position in 2022 to 134 out of 193 countries ranked compared to 135 out of 191 countries in 2021. On the Gender Inequality Index (GII) 2022, India has been ranked at 108 out of 193 countries with a score of 0.437. Its rank was 122 out of 191 countries with a score of 0.490 in the GII-2021. This shows a significant jump of 14 ranks on the GII-2022 vis-a-vis the GII-2021, the women and child development ministry said. However, the country also has one of the largest gender gaps in its labour force participation rate -- a 47.8 per cent difference between women (28.3 per cent) and men (76.1 per cent). After a drop in its HDI value in 2021 and following a flat trend over the past few years, India's HDI value has increased to 0.644 in 2022, placing the country at 134 out of 193 countries and territories in the just released 2023/24 Human Development Report (HDR). India ranked 135 out of 191 countries in

Many countries bouncing back from Covid but poorest are not, says UN

Many countries are bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic, but the poorest are not and a significant number are seeing their conditions deteriorate, the UN Development Program said Wednesday. Achim Steiner, head of the agency, said that after two decades during which rich and poor countries were coming closer in terms of development, the finding is a very strong warning signal that nations are now drifting apart. The Human Development Index that the agency has produced since 1990 is projected to reach record highs in 2023 after steep declines during the pandemic years of 2020 and 2021. But development in half of the world's poorest countries remains below 2019 pre-pandemic levels, the report said. It's a rich person's versus a poor person's world in which we are seeing development unfolding in very unequal, partially incomplete ways, Steiner said at a news conference. Why does this matter? Not only because it creates more vulnerability, it creates also more misery and protracted