Page 78 - United Nations

UN rights body to hold urgent session on Iran amid crackdown on protestors

The UN's top human rights body is poised to hold a special session on Iran in the wake of the government's deadly crackdowns on protesters, threats against journalists and other alleged human rights violations in the Islamic republic. The Human Rights Council will hold the session in the week of November 21 "if possible on November 24," following a diplomatic request by Germany and Iceland. Germany sent a letter to the council offices Friday announcing the call for a special session "to address the deteriorating human rights situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran, especially with respect to women and children." At least one-third of the council's 47 member states need to support such a request and the move by Germany suggests it has lined up enough backing. The protests in Iran, sparked by the September 16 death of a 22-year-old woman after her detention by the country's morality police, have grown into one of the largest sustained challenges to the nation's theocracy since the

United Nations to seek out methane gas emitters with data from space

Big emitters of the heat-trapping gas methane can expect a call from the United Nations starting next year, when the global body launches a new platform to combine existing systems for tracking the potent greenhouse gas from space. The UN Environment Programme said on Friday that the new Methane Alert and Response System MARS for short is intended to help companies act on major emissions sources but also provide data in a transparent and independent way. It draws on satellite measurements performed by NASA and the European, German and Italian space agencies. Data from private satellite operators will also be incorporated in future. Each of these instruments give us a correct answer to a question that is slightly different, because each of them see different things," said Manfredi Caltagirone, head of the International Methane Emissions Observatory at UNEP. "So the only way you can have a correct picture is to connect them all together. The data will be released 45 to 75 days afte

Taliban violating human rights, plunging economy to 'dire' conditions: UN

The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution Thursday accusing the Taliban of violating the human rights of Afghan women and girls, failing to establish a representative government, and plunging the country into dire economic, humanitarian and social conditions. The resolution also pointed to persistent violence in the country since the Taliban takeover 15 months ago and the presence of terrorist groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State and their affiliates as well as the presence of foreign terrorist fighters. Germany's U.N. ambassador, Antje Leendertse, had hoped the 193-member General Assembly would approve the German-facilitated resolution by consensus. But a vote was requested and it was adopted 116-0, with 10 countries abstaining Russia, China, Belarus, Burundi, North Korea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Nicaragua, Pakistan and Zimbabwe. Sixty-seven countries did not vote. General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, unlike Security Council resolutions, but they do refle

UN, Russians to discuss extension of Ukraine export deal in Geneva

Senior U.N. and Russian officials planned to meet in Geneva on Friday for talks on extending the deal that returned Ukrainian grain to world markets and was supposed to eliminate obstacles for Russian exports of grain and fertilizer. The agreement expires Nov. 19, and Ukraine and Western nations are pressing for it to be extended. However, Russia's government has said it is undecided, expressing dissatisfaction with how the deal has worked for its side. U.N. humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths and U.N. trade chief Rebeca Grynspan, who has been in charge of the Russian side of the agreement, were to meet with a Russian delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Vershinin, the U.N. said Thursday. Separate agreements brokered by the United Nations and Turkey and signed by Ukraine and Russia in Istanbul on July 22 were a rare example of tacit cooperation between the warring nations in the face of an escalating global food crisis following Russia's Feb. 24 invasion of its smaller .

Concerned at unfolding humanitarian situation in Afghanistan: India at UN

The envoy highlighted that India is closely monitoring the security situation in Afghanistan, and on issues related to Afghanistan, it is actively engaged with the international community

BS Number Wise: Here's why India's poverty estimates are problematic

Traditional estimates of poverty in the country rely on indicators that are outdated or inaccurate

United Nations criticises China's human rights abuses in Xinjiang

'OHCHR found evidence of patterns of torture, forced medical treatments, forced labour, incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, violations of reproductive rights'

UN chief Guterres voices concern over escalation of violence in Syria

Guterres calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and refrain from escalating the situation, said Stephanie Tremblay, an associate spokesperson for the Secretary-General, on Wednesday.

UN ramps up humanitarian appeal for life-saving assistance to Sri Lankans

The United Nations team in Sri Lanka and non-governmental organisations on Tuesday revised and extended their joint Humanitarian Needs and Priorities (HNP) plan, which aims to provide life-saving assistance to 3.4 million people amid Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis since independence. During the ongoing crisis since June, the HNP plan has been responding to the Sri Lankan government's request for UN-backed multi-sector support for the island nation's debt and food and medicine shortages. Governments and donor agencies have helped the humanitarian community reach over 1 million of the country's most vulnerable people with cash, food, school meals, medicine, protection, and livelihood support, according to a release. The HNP - aligned with appeals from other UN agencies - had raised USD 79 million for Sri Lanka thanks to support from multiple donors like the US and USAID, Australia, Japan including JICA, the UN Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF), Canada, Denmark, Norway, New ...

COP27: Treaty against use of fossil fuels floated at UN climate summit

The world should adopt a treaty that stops the spread of fossil fuel energy, much like it has tried to with nuclear weapons, a prominent small island leader proposed as vulnerable nations Tuesday continued to push for more action and money at international climate talks. Tuvalu Prime Minister Kausea Natano told The Associated Press Tuesday morning that he would propose a non-proliferation treaty for coal, oil and natural gas later in a speech at the United Nations climate summit in Egypt. Natano and Tuvalu, along with other vulnerable nations, have moral authority in negotiations, especially in light of mega climate disasters. A year ago at climate talks in Glasgow, a proposal to call for a phase out coal the dirtiest of the fossil fuels was changed at the last minute to phase down by a demand from India, earning the wrath of small island nations and some vulnerable countries. Small island nation leaders also called for some kind of global tax on the profits of fossil fuel ...

UNGA designates Nov 18 as World Day for prevention of child sexual abuse

The resolution invites all member states, relevant organisations of the UN and other international organisations to commemorate this World Day each year in a manner that each considers appropriate

On highway to climate hell, humanity has a choice - cooperate or perish: UN

This year's annual UN climate conference, known as COP27, comes as leaders and experts have raised increasing alarm that time is running out to avert catastrophic rises in temperature

Climate change woes are bad, getting worse: UN weather report

The report titled 'WMO Provisional State of the Global Climate 2022' released at the 27th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC on Sunday stated that the rate of sea level rise has doubled since 1993

Australia announces bid to co-host UN Climate Change Conference in 2026

The Australian government has announced it will bid to co-host the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference in 2026 with Pacific nations.

Ahead of UN climate conference, young African climate activists speak out

Young climate activists from African nations have high demands but low expectations for the UN climate conference which begins Sunday in the Egyptian coastal resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Observers and organizers of the COP27 summit have made much of its location, branding the conference as an African COP where the positions of African countries on issues like finance for adapting to climate change or moving to renewable energy sources will be central to the talks. Activists hope that's true. For COP27 to be the 'African COP', the needs, voices, and priorities of the African people need to be reflected in the outcome of the negotiations," Kenyan climate activist Elizabeth Wathuti told The Associated Press. "COP27 is a chance to bring justice to the most impacted countries through global solidarity and cooperation. Analysts point to sticking points between richer and poorer nations, such as questions around whether vulnerable countries should receive compensation for climate-related ..

UN rights chief urges Musk to ensure human rights in Twitter management

Respect for our shared human rights should set the guardrails for the platform's use and evolution: Volker Turk

Biden slams Musk's Twitter buy, says platform responsible for spewing lies

"There's no editors anymore," Biden added. "There's no editors. How do we expect kids to be able to understand what is at stake?"

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra meets UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra met top UN leaders, including Secretary-General Antonio Guterres here and discussed issues of pressing concern. Kwatra also met with President of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi and they discussed the priorities of the PGA for the session and how India could partner in those. Foreign Secretary @AmbVMKwatra met with @UN Secretary General @antonioguterres. Issues of pressing concern were discussed, India's Permanent Mission to the UN tweeted on Thursday. On Thursday, Kwatra addressed the UN Security Council open debate held under Ghana's Presidency of the 15-nation Council on Peacebuilding and sustaining peace: Integrating effective resilience-building in peace operations for sustainable peace.' Later he met with Ghana's Minister of Foreign Affairs Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. They expressed support for each other's priorities in the Security Council and discussed taking the - relationship forward, the Indian mission tweeted. At t

Food prices at 9-month low as slow staples demand offset war disruptions

The continued decline offers some relief to households grappling with a cost-of-living crunch. The index is down for seventh month, its longest slump in 9 years, and food inflation has begun to slow

Iran anti-hijab protest: 14, 000 arrested in last six weeks, says UN

Protests have swept through the Islamic Republic for weeks following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died on September 16 after being detained by 'morality police'