Page 3 - United Nations Security Council

US preparing UNSC resolution to warn against nuclear weapons in space

The Security Council is already set to discuss nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation in a meeting on March 18

Over 8,5000 migrants died worldwide, highest since UN started counting

A total of 8,565 migrants died on land and sea routes worldwide last year, the U.N. migration agency said Wednesday, a record high since it began counting deaths a decade ago. The International Organization for Migration said the biggest increase in deaths last year was on the treacherous Mediterranean Sea crossing, to 3,129 from 2,411 in 2022. However, that was well below the record 5,136 deaths recorded on the Mediterranean in 2016 as huge numbers of Syrians, Afghans and others fled conflicts toward Europe. IOM said the total number of deaths among migrants in 2023 was nearly 20% more than the previous year. It said most of the deaths last year, about 3,700, came from drowning. The count also includes migrants who vanished often while trying to cross by sea and are presumed dead even if their bodies were not found. The Geneva-based migration agency cautioned that the figures likely underestimate the real toll, and factors such as improved data collection methods play a part in

IAEA chief in Russia to discuss safety of Ukrainian nuclear plant

The U.N.'s atomic watchdog agency chief is visiting Russia amid concern about a Ukrainian nuclear power plant caught in the crossfire since Moscow sent troops into Ukraine in 2022 and seized the facility shortly after. IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi arrived at the Black Sea resort of Sochi on Tuesday evening, according to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti for talks on nuclear safety in Ukraine. Grossi announced the trip on Monday, the first day of a regular meeting of the agency's 35-nation board of governors in Vienna. The International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly expressed alarm about the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe's largest, amid fears of a potential nuclear catastrophe. The plant's six reactors have been shut down for months, but it still needs power and qualified staff to operate crucial cooling systems and other safety features. Speaking to reporters in Sochi on Wednesday, the IAEA chief said he had a very intensive and exhaustive workin

Israel criticises UN in Gaza, says 450 of its workers are militants

Israel ramped up its criticism of the embattled UN agency for Palestinian refugees Monday, saying 450 of its employees were members of militant groups in the Gaza Strip, though it provided no evidence to back up its accusation. Major international funders have withheld hundreds of millions of dollars from the agency, known as UNRWA, since Israel accused 12 of its employees of participating in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel that killed 1,200 people and left about 250 others held hostage in Gaza, according to Israeli authorities. The UN envoy focusing on sexual violence in conflict, Pramila Patten, said Monday there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Hamas committed rape, "sexualized torture," and other cruel and inhuman treatment of women during the attack. The attack sparked an Israeli invasion of the enclave of 2.3 million people that Gaza's Health Ministry says has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians. Aid groups say the fighting has displaced most of the territory's ...

Why UNSC rendered ineffective in resolving Russia-Ukraine conflict: Kamboj

India has questioned why the UN Security Council has been rendered "completely ineffective" in resolving the Russia-Ukraine conflict that has continued unabated for two years, as New Delhi asserted that outdated structures need reform for multilateralism to be effective. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador, Ruchira Kamboj, raised the question at a UN General Assembly plenary meeting held to mark two years since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict on February 24, 2022. As the conflict has continued for two years unabated, we, the comity of UN Member States, must pause and ask ourselves two pressing questions, Kamboj told the UN General Assembly meeting on the Ukraine conflict. Are we anywhere near a possible, acceptable solution? And if not, why is it that the UN system, particularly its principal organ, the United Nations Security Council, is mandated to primarily maintain international peace and security? Why is it rendered completely ineffective in the resoluti

US proposes UN resolution calling for 'temporary ceasefire' in Gaza

Notably, Israel is planning to carry out a ground operation in Rafah, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled over the course of the conflict

Taliban has set 'unacceptable' terms for meeting, says UN secy general

The Taliban set unacceptable conditions for attending a UN-sponsored meeting about Afghanistan, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday. Taliban demands included the exclusion of Afghan civil society members from the talks in Doha, Qatar, and treatment that amounted to official recognition of the Taliban as the country's legitimate rulers, Guterres said at the conclusion of a two-day meeting in Qatar. The Taliban seized power in 2021, as US and NATO forces withdrew following two decades of war. No country recognises them as Afghanistan's government, and the UN has said that recognition is almost impossible while bans on female education and employment remain in place. The two-day meeting in Doha brought together member states and special envoys. But the Taliban didn't attend because their demands had not been met. I received a letter (from the Taliban) with a set of conditions to be present in this meeting that were not acceptable, Guterres told a news conference. These .

UNSC to vote Tuesday on resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire, US to use veto

The UN Security Council is expected to vote on Tuesday on an Arab-backed resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, which the United States announced it will veto. Algeria, the Arab representative on the council, put the draft resolution in a final form that can be voted on. Council diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly, said the vote will take place Tuesday morning. In addition to a ceasefire, the final Algerian draft, obtained by The Associated Press, reiterates council demands that Israel and Hamas scrupulously comply with international law, especially the protection of civilians, and rejects the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians. The draft also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by Hamas during their surprise October 7 attacks in southern Israel. Some 1,200 people were killed and about 250 taken captive, with over 100 still believed to be held in Gaza.

India's Permanent Representative to UN chairs session on social development

During the session which culminated on Wednesday, Ambassador Kamboj emphasised the critical role of the Commission in addressing global social challenges

Serbia, Kosovo leaders spar at UN over latter's ban of Serbian dinar

The leaders of Serbia and Kosovo sparred at the United Nations over the latter's ban of the use of the Serbian currency in areas where minority Serbs live, the latest crisis between the two governments. Tensions escalated after the government of Kosovo, a former Serbian province, banned banks and other financial institutions in the Serb-populated areas from using the dinar in local transactions, starting Feb. 1, and imposed the euro. The dinar was widely used in ethnic Serbian-dominated areas, especially in Kosovo's north, to pay pensions and salaries to staff in Serbian parallel institutions, including schools and hospitals. Serbia said last week it would seek an emergency meeting at the U.N. Security Council over the issue. In 1999, a 78-day NATO bombing campaign ended a war between Serbian government forces and ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo. Serbian forces were pushed out but Belgrade never recognized Kosovo's independence and still considers it a Serbian province. At a

9 UN Security Council members urge halt to airstrikes by Myanmar's military

Nine members of the United Nations Security Council condemned indiscriminate airstrikes by Myanmar's military against civilians before an envoy briefed the council Monday as part of regional efforts to implement a peace plan that has so far been largely ineffective. The plan, adopted in April 2021 shortly after the military seized power in a takeover that sparked a civil war, calls for the immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar, a dialogue among all concerned parties, mediation by a special envoy from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, provision of humanitarian aid through ASEAN channels, and a visit to Myanmar by the special envoy to meet all concerned parties. Veteran diplomat Alounkeo Kittikhoun the special envoy to Myanmar from this year's ASEAN chair, Laos, and a former U.N. ambassador addressed a closed council meeting on behalf of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Kittikhoun committed to implementing ASEAN's five-point consensus for peace in

PM Modi calls for cooperation among countries in justice delivery

Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted on Saturday that criminals have been using the latest technology for funding and operating across regions as he called for rethinking, reimagining and reforming legal systems to deliver justice. Speaking at the Commonwealth Legal Education Association (CLEA) - Commonwealth Attorneys and Solicitors General Conference (CASGC), he said countries already work with each other in the domain of air traffic control and maritime traffic, and advocated extending this to investigation and justice delivery. "When we work together then jurisdiction becomes a tool to deliver justice and not to delay it," he said, adding that the nature and scope of crime have seen radical changes. Sometime ensuring justice in one country requires working with other countries, he said. He expressed hope that the conference works to ensure that everyone has access to timely justice and no one is left behind. The rise of cryptocurrency and cyber threats presents new challenges an

Israeli army continues strikes in southern Gaza; 16 dead including kids

An Israeli airstrike on a home killed 16 people, half of them children, in the southern Gaza town of Rafah, medics said early on Thursday. The military continued to strike targets in areas of the besieged territory where it has told civilians to seek refuge. There was meanwhile no word on whether medicines that entered the territory Wednesday as part of a deal brokered by France and Qatar had been distributed to dozens hostages with chronic illnesses who are being held by Hamas. More than 100 days after Hamas triggered the war with its October 7 attack, Israel continues to wage one of the deadliest and most destructive military campaigns in recent history, with the goal of dismantling the militant group that has ruled Gaza since 2007 and returning scores of captives. The war has stoked tensions across the region, threatening to ignite other conflicts. More than 24,000 Palestinians have been killed, some 85 per cent of the narrow coastal territory's 2.3 million people have fled their

UN seeks $4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine, refugees this year

The United Nations appealed on Monday for USD 4.2 billion to help people in Ukraine and displaced outside the country this year, saying that people on the front lines have exhausted their meagre resources and many refugees also are vulnerable. About three-quarters of the total, USD 3.1 billion, is meant to support some 8.5 million people inside Ukraine. The remaining USD 1.1 billion is sought for refugees and host communities outside Ukraine. A recent wave of attacks underscores the devastating civilian cost of the war and a bitter winter is increasing the need for humanitarian aid, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs and the UN refugee agency said in a statement from Geneva. In front-line towns and villages, people have exhausted their meagre resources and rely on aid to survive, it said. Ukraine has been subjected to massive Russian barrages recently. More than 500 drones and missiles were fired between December 29 and January 2, according to officials in .

Russia requests UNSC meeting after US, Britain strike Houthis in Yemen

A spokesman for Yemen's Houthis said there was no justification for the US-British attack and said the Iran-backed group will continue targeting ships heading towards Israel

UNSC adopts resolution demanding Houthi rebels stop attacks in Red Sea

The U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution Wednesday condemning and demanding an immediate halt to attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea area. The resolution, sponsored by the United States and Japan, says at least two dozen Houthi attacks are impeding global commerce and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security. The vote was 11-0 with four abstentions Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique. Immediately before the vote, the council rejected three proposed Russian amendments. The Iranian-backed Houthis, who have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen's internationally recognized government since 2014, have said they launched the attacks with the aim of ending Israel's devastating air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip. It was triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 surprise attack in southern Israel which killed about 1,200 people and led to some 250 others being taken ...

UNSC vote on Gaza humanitarian resolution delayed again to avoid US veto

UN Security Council members were in intense negotiations on Tuesday on an Arab-sponsored resolution to spur desperately needed humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza during some kind of a halt in the fighting, trying to avoid another veto by the United States. A vote on the resolution, first postponed from Monday, was pushed back again until Wednesday. We're still working through the modalities of the resolution, US National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said on Tuesday afternoon when the vote was still set for 5 p.m. "It's important for us that the rest of the world understand what's at stake here and what Hamas did on the 7th of October and how Israel has a right to defend itself against those threats. The vote was later cancelled as the United States asked for more time. Talks were continuing in an effort to get the Biden administration to abstain or vote in favour of the resolution. The draft resolution on the table Monday morning called for an urgent and sustainable .

AU's inclusion in G20 under India's initiative should inspire UN: Amb

India's initiative to include the African Union as a permanent member of the G20 under its presidency is a significant step in reform that should inspire the much older United Nations to make the Security Council contemporary, New Delhi's envoy to the UN has said. India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj told the Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) meeting on Security Council Reforms on Wednesday that upon India's initiative, the African Union became a permanent member of the G20 at the New Delhi Summit in September this year. The inclusion of the African Union in the G20 ensured that an important and valuable voice from the Global South is added to an influential institution of global governance and decision-making. This significant step in reform should inspire the United Nations, a much older organisation, to also make the Security Council contemporary. Broad representation is, after all, a prerequisite for both effectiveness and credibility, Kamboj .

Heavy fighting in south Gaza as Israel presses on with renewed US support

Heavy fighting raged overnight and into Sunday in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, as Israel pressed ahead with its offensive after the US blocked the latest international efforts to halt the fighting and rushed more munitions to its close ally. Israel has faced rising international outrage and calls for a cease-fire after the killing of thousands of Palestinian civilians and the displacement of nearly 85 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people within the besieged territory, where UN agencies say there is no safe place to flee. But the United States has lent vital support to the offensive once again in recent days, by vetoing United Nations Security Council efforts to end the fighting that enjoyed wide international support, and by pushing through an emergency sale of over USD 100 million worth of tank ammunition to Israel. The US has pledged unwavering support for Israel's goal of crushing Hamas' military and governing abilities in order to prevent any repeat of the October 7 .

UN Security Council of yesterday is always late today: Ruchira Kamboj

In a scathing criticism, India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj has said the UN Security Council of yesterday is always late today and questioned whether 1945's security plumbing will work in the year 2023. If the trillion dollar question is to ensure peace, do we have a peace infrastructure representative of the current times and contemporary realities? Kamboj asked. Speaking at the Security Council open debate on Threats to International Peace and Security: Transnational Organised Crime, Growing Challenges, and New Threats' on Thursday, Kamboj questioned whether 2023 is the new 1945, referring to the year when the powerful UN body came into existence. Will 1945's security plumbing work today? The UNSC of yesterday is always late today! she said. India, the world's most populous country, has been at the forefront of the years-long efforts to reform the Security Council, saying it rightly deserves a place as a permanent member at the UN high table, whi