Page 8 - United Nations

Ex-UN chief Ban Ki-moon urges for solidarity to tackle global challenges

All countries need to work together to address pressing global challenges and attain the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said here.

1 child or youth died every 4.4 sec in 2021: UN report on child mortality

More than 5.0 mn children under age 5, including 2.3 mn newborns, along with 2.1 mn children and youth aged 5 to 24 yrs -- 43% of whom are adolescents -- died in 2021

South Asians 15 times more likely die from climate change impact: Guterres

'South Asia is one of the world's global climate crisis hotspots -- in which people are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts than elsewhere'

Ozone layer slowly healing, hole to mend by 2066: United Nations report

Earth's protective ozone layer is slowly but noticeably healing at a pace that would fully mend the hole over Antarctica in about 43 years, a new United Nations report says. A once-every-four-years scientific assessment found recovery in progress, more than 35 years after every nation in the world agreed to stop producing chemicals that chomp on the layer of ozone in Earth's atmosphere that shields the planet from harmful radiation linked to skin cancer, cataracts and crop damage. In the upper stratosphere and in the ozone hole we see things getting better," said Paul Newman, co-chair of the scientific assessment. The progress is slow, according to the report presented Monday at the American Meteorological Society convention in Denver. The global average amount of ozone 18 miles (30 kilometers) high in the atmosphere won't be back to 1980 pre-thinning levels until about 2040, the report said. And it won't be back to normal in the Arctic until 2045. Antarctica, where it's so thin ..

Israel revokes Palestinian FM's travel permit over push for ICJ opinion

Israel on Sunday revoked the Palestinian foreign minister's VIP travel permit, part of a series of punitive steps against the Palestinians that Israel's new hard-line government announced days ago. Riad Malki said in a statement that he was returning from the Brazilian president's inauguration when he was informed that Israel rescinded his VIP travel permit, which allows top Palestinian officials to travel more easily in and out of the occupied West Bank than ordinary Palestinians. It was not clear whether the permits of other officials had been revoked as well. Israel's government on Friday approved the steps to penalize the Palestinians in retaliation for them pushing the U.N.'s highest judicial body to give its opinion on the Israeli occupation. Rulings by the International Court of Justice are not binding, but they can be influential on world opinion. The decision highlights the tough line the current government is already taking toward the Palestinians just days into its tenure

PM Sharif leaves for Geneva to attend Pak-UN conference to raise $16 bn

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday left for Geneva to co-host a key conference in Geneva Monday along with the UN Secretary-General to raise more than USD 16 billion for a resilient recovery of his country from last year's climate-induced catastrophic floods. More than 33 million were displaced and over 1,700 were killed in the devastating floods that hit the country last summer due to unprecedented monsoon rains. According to an official statement, the Prime Minister was accompanied by a high-level delegation, comprising Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Climatic Change Minister Sherry Rehman and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb. Before embarking on the visit, Sharif in a series of tweets said that he would present the case of flood victims before the world. We will place comprehensive post-disaster framework plan for recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction with resilience before development partners and friendly countrie

UN asks Taliban to lift bans on female education, work for aid agencies

Top UN diplomat in Afghanistan met Taliban-appointed education minister Mohammad Nadeem in Kabul on Saturday and called for the urgent lifting of the bans on female education and work for aid agencies."Afghanistan is entering a new period of crisis. Taliban bans on female education & work for aid agencies will harm all Afghans. UN envoy Potzel Markus called for the urgent lifting of the bans in a meeting today with de facto authorities' Minister Higher Education, Moh. Nadeem," United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in a tweet.The Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021 and imposed policies severely restricting basic rights--particularly those of women and girls, according to Human Rights Watch.Last month, the Taliban imposed a restriction on female higher education and a ban on women from working in humanitarian nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Human rights experts and members of the international community described these measures as a major blow to ...

Air India peeing case LIVE: Court sends accused to 14-day judicial custody

A selected group of cities and harbors have been asked to send test samples of infected travelers for genome sequencing at the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention

Global food prices in 2022 hit record high amid drought, war: FAO

Global prices for food commodities like grain and vegetable oils were the highest on record last year even after falling for nine months in a row, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization said, as Russia's war in Ukraine, drought and other factors drove up inflation and worsened hunger worldwide. The FAO Food Price Index, which tracks monthly changes in the international prices of commonly traded food commodities, dipped by 1.9% in December from a month earlier, the Rome-based organization said Friday. For the whole year, it averaged 143.7 points, more than 14% above the 2021 average, which also saw large increases. The December decline was led by a drop in the price of vegetable oils amid shrinking import demand, expectations of increased soy oil production in South America and lower crude oil prices. Grain and meat were also down, while dairy and sugar rose slightly. Calmer food commodity prices are welcome after two very volatile years, FAO chief economist Maximo Torero said in

Costly meals: World food index ends year where it began after dramatic run

During the year, the index hit the highest since records started in 1990

India to deploy single largest platoon of women peacekeepers in Abyei

This is India's largest single unit of women peacekeepers in a UN Mission since it deployed the first-ever all-women's contingent in Liberia in 2007

UN calls for de-escalation following Israeli minister's Al-Aqsa visit

A senior UN official called for de-escalation of tensions following Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem.

Humanitarian aid priority to ensure people's recovery in Ethiopia: FAO

UN's FAO said humanitarian access and the delivery of urgently needed assistance to conflict-affected parts of northern Ethiopia remain a key priority to ensure people's recovery from conflict

UN assures economic crisis-hit Sri Lanka with financial, technical support

The UN official made the remarks on Wednesday at a meeting between Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe and a delegation he headed

Poland asks for UN intervention to secure WWII damages from Germany

On September 1, 2022, the Polish government presented a report detailing the material losses suffered by Poland during World War II, along with a pledge to demand money from Germany in reparations

Those enjoying permanent membership not in hurry to see UN reforms: EAM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has slammed the slow pace of the UN reforms, saying those who are enjoying the benefits of permanent membership are not in a hurry to see reforms. India has been at the forefront of efforts at the UN to push for urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member. "You will have a situation when the world's most populous country is not among the permanent members of the security council, what does it say about the state of the UN", Jaishankar said in an interview to Austria's national broadcaster ORF on Monday. When asked how long will it take until this reform of the UN Security Council, he said, "...those who are today enjoying the benefits of permanent membership clearly are not in a hurry to see reform. I think it's a very short-sighted viewBecause at the end of the day, the credibility of the UN and their own interests and effectiveness are at stake."

77-year-old organisation like the UN needs a 'refresh': EAM Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said a 77-year-old organisation like the United Nations needs a "refresh", asserting that pushing for a major overhaul in the top global body is an important part of New Delhi's foreign policy. Jaishankar made these comments while addressing members of the Indian diaspora here in the Austrian capital on Sunday. When asked how Jaishankar was planning to undertake the reforms in the UN, and if India would take the leadership in bringing about this change, the minister said:"The UN system was invented in 1945. Now, I tell people to show me something which is 77 years old and you feel doesn't need a refresh. People refresh themselves, institutions need to be refreshed by other people. We need change. Large parts of the world do not believe anymore that the UN system speaks fairly for them." The United Nations (UN) officially came into existence in October 1945, after its Charter was ratified by China, France, the Soviet Union, the UK, the US an

UN chief Antonio Guterres welcomes cease-fire announcement in Colombia

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the announcement of a six-month cease-fire between the Colombian government and five armed groups

Palestinian authorities hail UN vote on Israeli occupation of territory

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman of the Palestinian presidency, on Saturday said, "the vote is evidence of the whole world standing by our people and their inalienable historical rights"

Yemen's warring sides gear up for conflict in 2023 amid stalled peace talks

During 2022, several rounds of negotiations between Yemen's government and the Houthis, which were held under the auspices of the UN, brought a fragile cease-fire for several months