United Nations, July 6 (IANS) As artificial intelligence races at “runaway speed”, the UN launched on Monday a global meeting to ponder the existential question posed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: Will humanity “shape this transformation together — or let it shape us”? “Today, that question has an answer — right here, at this Global Dialogue on AI Governance,” he said. “For the first time, every country has a seat at the table, and we have a shared base of evidence.””Some lines, once …
Latest General Assembly News & Updates
United Nations, July 2 (IANS) The General Assembly has overwhelmingly again urged the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) proposed by India.The Ninth Review of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy (GCTS), which was carried by 140 votes with three against on Wednesday, urged member nations to “make every effort” to adopt the CCIT, which has been languishing for 31 years after New Delhi proposed it.India’s Permanent Representative P. Harish warned t…
United Nations, July 2 (IANS) The world organisation is in danger of going broke by the end of next month despite a lifeline thrown to it by the General Assembly through a change in funding procedure, according to UN officials. Assistant Secretary-General Chandramouli Ramanathan put it bluntly on Wednesday (local time): “We don’t have cash beyond August”.That’s just before the UN’s annual high-level meeting that convenes in September with a parade of world leaders.Come “September, money is gone”…
United Nations, July 1 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the General Assembly’s decision on unspent budget funds.”I welcome today’s (Tuesday’s) decision by the General Assembly to reform financial rules that were putting the Organization’s stability at risk. By its vote, the Assembly has agreed to introduce, for a four-year trial period, a new methodology to ensure that unspent funds are returned to Member States only when they are backed by cash,” said Guterres in a statemen…
United Nations, June 4 (IANS) In a contentious race to succeed Pakistan for a seat earmarked for the Asia Pacific region on the UN Security Council, Kyrgyzstan has defeated the Philippines after four rounds of voting. To be elected, countries have to get a two-thirds majority. In elections held in the General Assembly on Wednesday, Portugal and Austria defeated the European powerhouse, Germany, for the two Western European seats.With the combination of votes for the two seats, Portugal received …
United Nations, June 4 (IANS) Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe were elected non-permanent members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday for a two-year term.The election marked the first time Kyrgyzstan would serve on the Security Council.The newly elected members will replace the outgoing non-permanent members — Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia — and assume their seats on January 1, 2027, and serve until December 31, 2028.A candidate must obtain t…
New Delhi, April 28 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a meeting with United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Annalena Baerbock in New Delhi on Tuesday, discussing UN80, sustainable development goals (SDGs), Artificial Intelligence (AI) implications and the ongoing West Asia conflict. During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar stressed the need for reformed multilateralism which is reflective of today’s realities, especially the Global South.”A pleasure to host UNGA Presid…
United Nations, April 17 (IANS) While expressing concern over the attacks on commercial shipping in the Hormuz Strait, India has taken a neutral stance on the veto by Russia and China of a Security Council resolution demanding that Iran stop attacks.Speaking on Thursday at a General Assembly meeting on the veto, India’s Permanent Representative skirted the issue and said, “We have urged all states to promote dialogue and diplomacy and de-escalation of tensions, and to purposefully address un…
United Nations, March 14 (IANS) Five candidates have been nominated to vie to become the next United Nations secretary-general, taking over the organisation at a time of crises around the world and within it, and the election process will start next month, according to General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock.”This is a very transparent, very neutral, and fair process in which every candidate … will have the same chances and opportunities”, she said on Friday.Starting April 20, each of t…
United Nations, Feb 24 (IANS) The intractable Ukraine War entered its fourth year on Tuesday with no early sign of an end to the conflict that has spread its tentacles across the world, destabilising geopolitics and international trade. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called it “a stain on our collective consciousness and remains a threat to regional and international peace and security.”According to the UN, more than 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed and 41,000 injured in the fou…