Page 76 - United Nations

UN votes to press countries to stop terrorists from getting nuclear weapons

The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Wednesday to keep pressing all countries to implement a resolution aimed at keeping nuclear, chemical and biological weapons out of the hands of terrorists, black marketeers and others. The council resolution approved by a 15-0 vote extends the mandate of the committee monitoring implementation of the 2004 resolution on the threat of non-state actors obtaining or trafficking weapons of mass destruction for 10 years until Nov. 30, 2032. It also continues support for the committee's group of experts. The resolution calls on the committee and the 193 U.N. member nations to take into account the use by non-government groups and individuals of rapid advances in science and technology to spread the use of these banned weapons. The council says in the resolution that it is gravely concerned at the threat of terrorism and the risk that non-state actors may acquire, develop, traffic in or use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons, including by ..

Australia's Great Barrier Reef should be placed on 'in danger' list: UN

The Unesco released its long-awaited report on the reef following a 10-day visit in March, calling for ambitious, rapid and sustained action to protect it

UN asks China to 'guarantee right to demonstrate' amid Covid protests

The large-scale protests in China were apparently sparked by an apartment block fire in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang province, which killed at least 10 people

UN chief calls for action in 3 areas to save biological weapons' disaster

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for action in three areas to prevent the disaster of biological weapons

Mahatma Gandhi's bust to be inaugurated at UNHQ during India's presidency

A bust of Mahatma Gandhi will be inaugurated as a gift from India to the United Nations during India's Presidency of the Security Council next month, the first sculpture of the Mahatma to be installed at the world body's headquarters here. The bust, made by renowned Indian sculptor Padma Shree awardee Ram Sutar, who has also designed the 'Statue of Unity' in Gujarat, will be inaugurated on December 14 during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's visit to the UN for India's Presidency of the Council for the month. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj told PTI in an exclusive interview here that the bust will be placed in the expansive North Lawns of the UN headquarters. The bust, a gift from India, will be the first Gandhi sculpture that will be installed in the UN headquarters, which proudly displays gifts and artifacts from around the world. Notable works of art at the UNHQ include a section of the Berlin wall donated by Germany, Soviet sculpture

UN warns 500,000 more people will need humanitarian aid in South Sudan

Some 9.4 million people in South Sudan will need humanitarian assistance and protection services next year, half a million more than the current number, the United Nations said in a report Friday. According to the 2023 South Sudan Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) report, more people will face food insecurity in 2023. Currently, nearly a third of 12.4 million people living in South Sudan are facing severe food insecurity. Humanitarian conditions have been worsened by endemic violence, conflict, access constraints, operational interference, public health challenges and climate change effects such as flooding and drought, the report said. The need for assistance will be greatest in counties in the Upper Nile and Western Equatoria States that have been facing conflict. Something has to change in South Sudan because the number of people in need continues to rise every year and the resources continue to decrease, said Sara Beysolow Nyanti, the Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, in

UN committee calls for probe into Xinjiang Uyghur human rights violations

the Committee urged the State party to immediately cease all intimidation and reprisals against Uyghur and other ethnic Muslim communities, the diaspora and those who speak out in their defence

China may not pay for climate change despite being 'biggest annual emitter'

Chinese policymakers do not agree with the suggestion that China should be considered a developed nation; according to Chinese policymakers, China continues to have extreme poverty in the country

Iran in a 'full-fledged human rights crisis,' says UN rights chief Turk

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Chief Volker Turk on Thursday said that a "full-fledged" crisis is underway in Iran amid a crackdown on protesters.He said that Iran is in a "full-fledged human rights crisis" as authorities clamp down on anti-regime dissidents, reported CNN.The Islamic Republic has been gripped by a wave of anti-government protests sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman detained by the morality police in September allegedly for not wearing her hijab properly.Turk called for "independent, impartial and transparent investigative processes" into violations of human rights in Iran during a special session of the UN Human Rights Council, reported CNN.Authorities have unleashed a deadly crackdown on demonstrators, with reports of forced detentions and physical abuse being used to target the country's Kurdish minority group.In a recent CNN investigation, covert testimony revealed sexual violence against protesters, ...

Efforts to sanction 26/11 perpetrators blocked for political reasons: India

India has said its efforts to sanction perpetrators and facilitators of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks have been blocked in the past for political reasons, enabling those responsible to walk free and organise further cross-border assaults against the country. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, said terrorism continues to pose a "grave threat" to international peace and security, as ISIS and al-Qaeda affiliated and inspired groups, particularly in Asia and Africa, continue to operate and target civilians and security forces. "Lest we forget, in November 2008, 10 terrorists entered the city of Mumbai through sea route from Pakistan, ravaging the city for 4 days, killing 166 people, including 26 foreign nationals, she said in her remarks to the UN Security Council Joint Briefing by the Chairs of the 1267/1373/1540 Committees to the Security Council. "Our efforts to sanction the perpetrators and facilitators of these terror attacks were blocked in th

UN's human rights body considers new scrutiny of Iran amid protests

Germany's foreign minister appealed on Thursday for greater scrutiny of Iran ahead of a special session by the UN's top human rights body devoted to the Islamic Republic's bloody crackdown on protesters. All our efforts go to the people who demand their rights with courage and dignity, Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, said in a statement. For these demands alone, they are killed by the hundreds, arrested by the thousands, and oppressed by the millions. The Human Rights Council was set to debate and vote on a proposal, presented by Germany and Iceland and backed by dozens of other countries, to set up a team of independent investigators to monitor human rights in Iran as protests continue. The protests were trigged by the death in mid-September of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died while being held by the morality police for violating a strictly enforced Islamic dress code. The session in Geneva is the latest international effort to put pressure on Iran over its crackdown, w

India receives wide praise at UNSC for counter-terror leadership

India has received wide praise for its leadership of the UN Security Council and for guiding the adoption of the Delhi Declaration on fighting terrorists using emerging technologies

Mystery of the missing millions: Why UN projects higher India population

Its estimate of India's population by the end of the decade is 41 mn higher than TGPP's 1.47 billion

WFP warns drought leading to food insecurity, acute malnutrition in Africa

The impact of drought in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia has led to food insecurity and a high level of acute malnutrition, the UN WFP has warned

Religious freedom, related human rights in India under threat: USCIRF

Religious freedom and related human rights in India are under ongoing threat, the US Commission for International Religious Freedom alleged on Tuesday in an unusual year-end update of the status of its assessment of religious freedom in the country. India has previously rejected the USCIRF's observations, terming them as "biased and inaccurate". The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is a Congressional-appointed body. Its recommendations are, however, not mandatory to be implemented by the US State Department. In its 2022 Annual Report early this year USCIRF recommended that the US Department of State designate India as a country of particular concern for engaging in or tolerating systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as set forth by the International Religious Freedom Act. The US State Department has refused to incorporate the commission's recommendations so far. Reiterating its recommendations of early this year, USCIRF argued t

Iran enriches uranium to 60% purity in response to UN watchdog order

Iran has begun producing enriched uranium at 60 per cent purity at the country's underground Fordo nuclear plant, official media reported on Tuesday, describing it as a response to a resolution by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog. The increased enrichment, reported by the official news agency IRNA, was seen as a significant addition to the country's nuclear programme. Enrichment to 60 per cent purity is one short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent. Nonproliferation experts have warned in recent months that Iran now has enough 60 per cent-enriched uranium to reprocess into fuel for at least one nuclear bomb. Iran is already enriching to 60per cent purity at its Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran. Fordo is some 100 kilometres (62 miles) south of the capital of Tehran. IRNA did not give details on the amount of the enriched uranium being produced. On Monday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanaani, said his country took the steps in reac

Global intellectual property filings touch record levels in 2021: UN

The UN agency said that despite the disruption of the coronavirus pandemic, this bucked previous economic downturn trends.

Norway Foreign Ministry donates 220 m Kroner for civilians in Afghanistan

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Norway in a statement has announced a donation of 220 million Norwegian Kroner to the United Nations and the World Bank

Pakistan pushes to increase non-permanent members in UN Security Council

The Pakistani envoy also underscored the need for flexibility to achieve the required consensus among all UN member states to overcome the stalemate in the reform negotiations: Report

UN Secy, COP27 Prez urge nations to deliver through much-needed pacts

To this end, the COP27 Presidency, with the support of UN-Habitat, convened the first-ever Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change at a UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP)