Washington, July 9 (IANS) The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has urged the United States to address concerns over forced labour through bilateral trade mechanisms instead of imposing additional tariffs, telling a US Trade Representative (USTR) hearing that dialogue and compliance would be more effective than punitive trade measures. Presenting the Confederation of Indian Industry’s position during a Section 301 public hearing on Wednesday (local time), Shuchita Sonalika said the proposed…
Latest United Nations Development Programme News & Updates
Washington, July 8 (IANS) India’s leading industry bodies on Wednesday urged the United States Trade Representative (USTR) to drop its proposed 12.5 per cent tariff on Indian imports, arguing that Indian businesses already operate under stringent labour and environmental compliance systems and that broad-based tariffs would raise costs for American manufacturers without helping eliminate forced labour. Appearing before a USTR Section 301 hearing, representatives of the Federation of Indian Chamb…
Washington, July 8 (IANS) India on Wednesday urged the United States to pursue cooperation rather than punitive tariffs to address forced labour concerns, telling a U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) hearing that strengthening compliance mechanisms would be more effective than imposing blanket duties on Indian exports. Responding to questions from USTR officials, Shuchita Sonalika, representing the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said India favoured collaborative efforts to improve labour …
Kabul, May 14 (IANS) Humanitarian and economic crisis in Afghanistan continued to deteriorate in 2025, with nearly 28 million people not able to meet their basic needs amid increasing poverty, drought and reducing international aid, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has revealed. In a new report issued this week, UNDP said Afghanistan’s economy increased by only 1.9 per cent in 2025, far less than the country’s 6.5 per cent population growth rate, resulting in continued decline in …
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) The Union Environment Ministry and the National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) have launched a five-year project to strengthen grassroots biodiversity governance, an official said on Sunday. Titled ‘Strengthening Institutional Capacities for Securing Biodiversity Conservation Commitments’, the initiative by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change aims to empower local communities and institutions through the greening of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GP…
New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Pakistan is grappling with deepening economic stress as the fallout from the ongoing tensions linked to the US-Iran conflict continues to disrupt global energy supplies, pushing fuel prices higher and straining the country’s already fragile economy, a report has said.While diplomatic efforts are underway, with Islamabad actively engaging to de-escalate the situation, there is still no final resolution in sight, as per The News International report.The continued uncer…
Islamabad, April 21 (IANS) The International Labour Organisation (ILO), a specialised United Nations agency, has stated that an employment and livelihoods loss assessment has been undertaken by it for 14 of the worst-affected districts of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, local media reported on Tuesday. The flood-affected districts of Punjab province bore the majority of employment losses and disruption, according to the assessment of the ILO. Almost 78 per cent of the total estimated employment l…
Dhaka, April 8 (IANS) Bangladesh’s electoral landscape highlights a persistent gender gap, with women active as voters, but their transition to leadership roles remains alarmingly slow, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) had recently highlighted. A dialogue held in Dhaka last month opened with a symbolic performance titled ‘Women to Discover, Develop, and Lead’, jointly presented by UNDP and the Bangladesh Election Commission (BEC) to promote women’s voices in the democratic process…
United Nations, April 1 (IANS) The military escalation in the Middle East, now in its fifth week, may cost economies in the region from 3.7 to 6 per cent of their collective GDP, representing up to $194 billion in losses, according to a new report issued.The total value of the losses may exceed the cumulative regional GDP growth achieved in 2025, said the report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).Coupled with an estimated rise in unemployment of up to 4 percentage points or 3.6…
Seoul, March 12 (IANS) South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok is set to depart for the United States on Thursday to promote South Korea’s bid to host a UN hub and meet with senior US officials, possibly including Vice President JD Vance.Kim’s weeklong trip, which will also take him to Geneva, Switzerland, comes as the government is bidding to host the tentatively named “UN AI hub,” an initiative aimed at bringing together UN bodies, and South Korea’s private and public sectors to produce AI-ba…