Page 8 - United Nations

UN says terrorist use of AI is 'very likely', calls for urgent action

A new UN report outlines how artificial intelligence could aid terrorists across cyber, physical and propaganda domains, and urges governments to act now

India slams Pakistan at UN for deflecting from child rights violations

India strongly rejected Pakistan's unwarranted aspersions over UN processes and attempts to deflect attention from atrocities committed against children in the country and rampant cross-border terrorism, asserting that the world has not forgotten the Pahalgam attacks. I am constrained to respond to the politically motivated remarks made by the delegate of Pakistan, one of the grave violators of the CAAC (Children and Armed Conflict) agenda, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador P Harish said. In a statement at the UN Security Council open debate on Effective strategies to end and prevent grave violations against children' Wednesday, Harish said that Pakistan is casting unwarranted aspersions over UN processes and also smearing India at various discussions to pursue their nefarious agenda. We reject this attempt by Pakistan to deflect attention from the atrocities committed against children in their country, as highlighted in the Secretary General's report, as well as

India enters top 100 in global SDG rankings of nations for first time

India has for the first time secured a place among the top 100 out of 193 countries ranked for their progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a report published on Tuesday. According to the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's 10th and latest Sustainable Development Report (SDR), India ranks 99th on the 2025 SDG Index with a score of 67, while China ranks 49th with 74.4 and the US 44th with 75.2 points. Among India's neighbours, Bhutan takes 74th place with 70.5 points, Nepal ranks 85th with 68.6, Bangladesh 114th with 63.9 and Pakistan 140th with 57 points. India's maritime neighbours, Maldives and Sri Lanka, stood at 53rd and 93rd places, respectively. The report's authors said that SDG progress has stalled at the global level, with only 17 per cent of the 17 targets adopted by the UN member countries in 2015 projected to be achieved by 2030. "Conflicts, structural vulnerabilities and limited fiscal space impede SDG progress in many

Very significant damage expected at Iran's Fordow site after US attack: UN

No party has yet been able to fully assess the extent of the damage done to the underground facility at Fordow, said the IAEA head

UN Security Council to meet on Iran as Russia, China push for a ceasefire

The US is likely to oppose the draft resolution, seen by Reuters, which also condemns attacks on Iran's nuclear sites and facilities

Use of force 'dangerous escalation': UN Chief after US strikes on Iran

Antonio Guterres said that there is a "growing risk" that this conflict could "rapidly" get out of control with "catastrophic" consequences for civilians, the region, and the world

Blended finance in India: Scaling up needs regulatory clarity and capital

The UN Financing for Development conference offers a pivotal platform to reimagine blended finance for the decade ahead

Iran executed at least 975 people last year, highest since 2015: UN report

Iran carried out executions at an alarming rate last year with at least 975 people killed, the United Nations chief said in a report that also cited other human rights abuses, from barriers to freedom of expression to the use of torture and arbitrary detention. UN deputy human rights commissioner Nada Al-Nashif, who presented the report to the Geneva-based Human Rights Council on Wednesday, urged Iran to halt all executions as a first step toward a ban. She also called for urgent diplomatic negotiations to end the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel. The 975 people executed in 2024 surpassed the estimated 834 in 2023 and was the highest rate of executions since 2015, said the report by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Four of the executions were carried out publicly. Iran carries out executions by hanging. Of those executed, 52 per cent were for drug-related offenses, 43 per cent for murder, 2 per cent for sexual offenses and 3 per cent for security-related offenses, the

At least 51 killed and 200 wounded while waiting for aid trucks in Gaza

At least 51 Palestinians were killed and more than 200 wounded in the Gaza Strip while waiting for UN and commercial trucks to enter the territory with desperately needed food, according to Gaza's Health Ministry and a local hospital. Palestinian witnesses told The Associated Press that Israeli forces carried out an airstrike on a nearby home before opening fire toward the crowd in the southern city of Khan Younis. The Israeli military said soldiers had spotted a gathering near an aid truck that was stuck in Khan Younis, near where Israeli forces were operating. It acknowledged several casualties as Israelis opened fire on the approaching crowd and said authorities would investigate what happened. The shooting did not appear to be related to a new Israeli- and US-supported aid delivery network that rolled out last month and has been marred by controversy and violence. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs, or OCHA, said the people killed were waiting for food .

Status of Iran's near-bomb grade Uranium stock looms over IAEA meet

The International Atomic Energy Agency's board meets Monday in Vienna, just days after a divisive vote that found Iran in non-compliance with its legal obligations

Abstaining on Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN misaligned with policy: Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said India's decision to abstain from voting on a Gaza ceasefire draft resolution is not in sync with its foreign policy and it will create confusion about the country at the global level. India has abstained in the UN General Assembly from a vote on a draft resolution that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza. Addressing a meeting of the party workers from Mumbai, the former Defence Minister said India has always taken a stand to protect humanity and opposed the killing of innocents. "The present decision is not in line with the country's (foreign) policy. It will create confusion about India on the global stage," Pawar said. Pawar, meanwhile, said the NCP (SP) cadre is strong and determined to struggle despite political setbacks. He appealed to the party workers to gear up for the upcoming elections to local bodies. He said local leaders of the party would decide on whether to contest the elections either sol

Iran failing to comply with nuclear obligations, says UN watchdog

The UN nuclear watchdog's board of governors on Thursday formally found that Iran isn't complying with its nuclear obligations for the first time in 20 years, a move that could lead to further tensions and set in motion an effort to restore United Nations sanctions on Tehran later this year. The International Atomic Energy Agency's board, which represents the agency's member nations, voted for the resolution at a meeting in Vienna, according to diplomats who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the outcome of the closed-doors vote. In the draft resolution seen by The Associated Press, the board of governors renews a call on Iran to provide answers without delay in a long-running investigation into uranium traces found at several locations that Tehran has failed to declare as nuclear sites. Western officials suspect that the uranium traces could provide evidence that Iran had a secret nuclear weapons programme until 2003. The resolution was put forward by France, the UK, and

Datanomics: UN bats for choice in Freedom vs Population control debate

The report also highlights India's stark "high fertility-low fertility duality," with Bihar and Uttar Pradesh showing high fertility, while Kerala and Tamil Nadu remain well below replacement levels

India pushes for Global Ocean Pact, launches data portal at UN meet

In 2024, the Potsdam Institute's Planetary Health Check warned that ocean acidity could soon become the seventh planetary boundary to be breached

18 more nations ratify high seas treaty to protect marine biodiversity

Eighteen more countries have ratified the High Seas Treaty, a global agreement for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in international waters, taking the total number of ratifications to 49. Adopted in June 2023, the treaty will enter into force 120 days after at least 60 countries ratify it. The treaty is crucial to meet a globally agreed biodiversity target of protecting 30 per cent of the oceans and lands by 2030, known as "30x30". At a special High Seas Treaty event organised at the third United Nations Ocean Conference on Monday, Albania, Bahamas, Belgium, Croatia, Cote d'Ivoire, Denmark, Fiji, Malta, Mauritania, Vanuatu, Greece, Guinea-Bissau, Jamaica, Jordan, Liberia, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vietnam deposited their instruments of ratification. They now join the 31 countries plus the European Union that have already deposited their ratification prior to the conference. According to a statement from the High Seas Alliance, 18 more countries have signed the

India's population at 1.46 bn, fertility drops below replacement rate: UN

India's population is estimated to reach 1.46 billion in 2025, continuing to be the highest in the world, according to a new UN demographic report, which also revealed the country's total fertility rate has fallen below the replacement rate. UNFPA's 2025 State of World Population (SOWP) Report, The Real Fertility Crisis, calls for a shift from panic over falling fertility to addressing unmet reproductive goals. Millions of people are not able to realise their real fertility goals, it asserts. This is the real crisis, not underpopulation or overpopulation, and the answer lies in greater reproductive agency - a person's ability to make free and informed 150 per cent choices about sex, contraception and starting a family, it says. The report also reveals key shifts in population composition, fertility, and life expectancy, signalling a major demographic transition. The report found that India's total fertility rate has declined to 1.9 births per woman, falling below the replacement l

High Seas Treaty: 18 new countries pledge support, take total to 49

Eighteen countries ratified the High Seas Treaty on Monday, bringing the total to 49 just 11 short of the 60 needed for the ocean agreement to enter into force. The surge in support, occurring during the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, adds momentum to what could become a historic shift in how the world governs the open ocean. Here's what the treaty is, why it matters and what happens next. What is the High Seas Treaty Formally known as the Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction, the High Seas Treaty is the first legally binding agreement focused on protecting marine biodiversity in international waters. These waters, which are beyond the jurisdiction of any single country, make up nearly two-thirds of the ocean and almost half the surface of the planet. Until now, there has been no comprehensive legal framework to create marine protected areas or enforce conservation on the high seas. Why is it needed Despite their remoteness, the high seas are under growin

Datanomics: Population burden limits India's economic growth gains

The gap between the GDP and individual prosperity is striking, especially when compared with other major economies

Israel claims warning shots fired after 12 killed in fire in Palestine

Israeli fire killed at least 12 people and wounded others as they headed toward two aid distribution points in the Gaza Strip run by an Israeli and US-backed group, Palestinian health officials and witnesses said Sunday. Israel's military said it fired warning shots at people who approached its forces. The past two weeks have seen frequent shootings near the new hubs where thousands of Palestinians desperate after 20 months of war are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire, and more than 80 people have been killed, according to Gaza hospital officials. In all, at least 108 bodies were brought to hospitals in Gaza over the past 24 hours, the territory's Health Ministry said. Israel's military said it struck dozens of militant targets throughout Gaza over the past day. Eleven of the latest bodies were brought to Nasser Hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. Palestinian witnesses said Israeli forces fired on some at a roundabout ..

India elected to UN's Economic and Social Council for 2026-28 term

India was on Wednesday elected to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations for the period from 2026-28. The council is at the heart of the UN's mechanism to advance the three dimensions of sustainable development -- economic, social and environmental. "India was elected to the Economic and Social Council for the term 2026-28 @UN today. Thank member states for their overwhelming support and reposing their trust in us. Appreciate the efforts of @IndiaUNNewYork," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on X. "India remains committed to championing development issues and keep working to strengthen the ECOSOC," he said. The ECOSOC is considered a key organ that plays an important role in recommending policies related to economic and social issues.