Humanity Suffering From 'Extreme Heat Epidemic': UN Chief

UNITED NATONS, July 25: Humanity is suffering from an "extreme heat epidemic," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Thursday, calling for action to limit the impacts of heat waves intensified by climate change.

"Billions of people are facing an extreme heat epidemic -- wilting under increasingly deadly heat waves, with temperatures topping 50 degrees Celsius around the world," he said. "That's 122 degrees Fahrenheit. And halfway to boiling."

According to the European Copernicus network, July 21, 22 and 23 were the three hottest days ever recorded worldwide, with July 22 holding the absolute record of 17.16 degrees Celsius (62.9 degrees Fahrenheit).

Guterres repeated his call for humanity to fight its "addiction" to fossil fuels.

"Today, our focus is on the impact of extreme heat. But let's not forget that there are many other devastating symptoms of the climate crisis: ever-more fierce hurricanes. Floods. Droughts. Wildfires. Rising sea levels. And the list goes on," he said.

"To tackle all these symptoms, we need to fight the disease. And the disease is the madness of incinerating our only home. The disease is the addiction to fossil fuels. The disease is climate inaction," he stressed, calling in particular on G20 countries to take action.

While 2023 was the hottest year on record, and 2024 could set a new record, temperatures well above 40C (104F) are increasingly common.

In the space of a year, the 50C threshold has even been exceeded in at least 10 places, from Death Valley in the United States (53.9C on July 7) to Agadir in Morocco, and also in China and India.

The intense heat, often less visible than other devastating impacts of climate change such as storms or floods, is nonetheless more deadly.

This "silent killer" is responsible for around 489,000 deaths per year between 2000 and 2019, compared with 16,000 deaths per year from cyclones, according to the UN's "Call to Action" document published on Thursday.

Extremely high temperatures also have an economic impact, with the UN estimating economic losses from heat stress at work will reach $2.4 trillion in 2030.

According to a report by the International Labor Organization published on Thursday, more than 70 percent of workers were exposed to excessive heat in 2020, 8.8 percent more than in 2000.

"The good news is that we can save lives and we can limit its impact," Guterres said Thursday.

The UN has called for the world community to first act to protect "the most vulnerable" -- including young children, the elderly and also humanity's poorest.

In this context, early warning systems should include extreme heat, warning populations of the arrival of heat waves and informing them of the precautions to take, the document says.

The call to action also recommends an "increase (to) equitable access to and scale up (of) low-carbon cooling."

This would involve investing in passive cooling systems -- which include climate-sensitive urban design measures, reflective surfaces and natural cooling systems -- and the phase-out of climate-warming gases that are used in many cooling systems.

UN top court terms Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory 'illegal'; Netanyahu says 'decision of lies'

GENEVA, July 20: Israel's decades-long occupation of the Palestinian territories is illegal and must end "as rapidly as possible," the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Friday in an advisory opinion at the request of the UN General Assembly.

The assembly had sought legal clarity on "the policies and practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem."

"The court has found that Israel's continued presence in the Palestinian Territories is illegal," ICJ presiding judge Nawaf Salam said.

“Israel must end the occupation as rapidly as possible,” he added.

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the opinion terming it a “decision of lies”.

“The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land -- not in our eternal capital Jerusalem, nor in our ancestral heritage of Judea and Samaria (the occupied West Bank),” Netanyahu said in a statement.

"No decision of lies in The Hague will distort this historical truth, and similarly, the legality of Israeli settlements in all parts of our homeland cannot be disputed."

The ICJ convened a week-long session in February to hear submissions from numerous countries, following the assembly's request.

Most of the speakers urged Israel to end its 57-year occupation, warning of the "extreme danger" it poses to Middle Eastern and global stability.

Israel abstained from the oral hearings but submitted written remarks, describing the court's queries as "prejudicial" and "tendentious."

The UN's highest court, comprising 15 judges from around the globe, delivered this non-binding advisory opinion, which may influence international opinion more than Israeli policies.

The ruling comes amid Israel's 10-month military offensive in Gaza, sparked by Hamas-led attacks in southern Israel.

Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip during the 1967 Mideast war. It annexed East Jerusalem in a move that is not internationally recognised, and while it withdrew from Gaza in 2005, it maintains a blockade following Hamas's 2007 takeover.

India refuses to back UN resolution demanding end to Russia's Ukraine offensive

UNITED NATIONS, July 12: India has refused to back a UN resolution calling on Russia to immediately end its offensive in Ukraine. The resolution came days after PM Narendra Modi visited Moscow and raised the issue with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

India has refused to back a resolution in the UN General Assembly that urged Russia to immediately end its aggression against Ukraine and urgently withdraw its forces and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.

The 193-member UN General Assembly adopted the resolution on Thursday with 99 votes in favour, nine against and 60 abstentions, including India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, Egypt, Nepal, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. Those voting against the resolution included Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Russia and Syria.

The UN resolution titled 'Safety and security of nuclear facilities of Ukraine, including the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant' demanded that Russia “immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders".

It also demanded that Russia urgently withdraw its military and other unauthorised personnel from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and immediately hand it over to Ukraine to ensure the facility's safety and security.

It called for the "immediate cessation of the attacks" by Russia against Ukraine's critical energy infrastructure, which increases the risk of a nuclear accident in the war-torn country.

The draft resolution was introduced by Ukraine and was sponsored by over 50 member states, including France, Germany and the US.

Before the vote on the resolution, Russia’s First Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy said the UN General Assembly had "unfortunately" adopted many documents that were non-consensual, politicised and did not reflect reality.

"Make no mistake: votes in favour of today's draft will be regarded by Kyiv, Washington, Brussels and London as evidence of support for their policy of further escalating the Ukrainian conflict to the detriment of steps taken by a sensible part of the international community to find a peaceful, sustainable and long-term solution to the conflict," he said.

UNGA adopts China’s resolution for ‘international cooperation’ to build AI

UNITED NATIONS, July 3: The 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) saw the unanimous adoption of a resolution proposed by China, co-sponsored by over 140 countries, aimed at bolstering international cooperation in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).

This resolution, titled “Enhancing International Cooperation on Capacity-building of Artificial Intelligence,” emphasizes the development of AI that adheres to human-centred principles, promotes beneficial intelligence, and serves humanity.

The resolution encourages countries, particularly developing ones, to strengthen their AI capacity, enhance their representation in global AI governance, and support an open, fair, and non-discriminatory business environment. It also underscores the central role of the United Nations in fostering international cooperation in AI.

The resolution aims to ensure inclusive, beneficial, and sustainable AI development, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, Fu Cong, highlighted the significant impact of global AI technology on economic and social development, noting that many countries, especially developing ones, have yet to fully benefit from AI. The digital divide remains a significant challenge, and the resolution seeks to address this by proposing practical measures to enhance AI capacity globally.

Fu stated that the resolution reflects a broad consensus among UN member states on the need for international cooperation in AI capacity building.

The goal is to bridge the digital divide, improve global AI governance, and accelerate the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The unanimous adoption of the resolution is seen as a testament to the global agreement on enhancing AI governance through dialogue and cooperation, with China playing a leading role.

China aims to use this resolution as a foundation to actively promote its implementation, focusing on human-centred development, equality, mutual benefit, and innovation. The goal is to help developing countries strengthen their AI capacity, promote sustainable development empowered by AI, and enhance global well-being.

A spokesperson for the Chinese permanent mission to the United Nations stated that the resolution received a warm welcome from UN member states, particularly developing countries. They appreciated China’s leadership in promoting global AI cooperation and governance, viewing the resolution as a milestone in bridging the global digital divide and ensuring shared benefits from AI development.

In October 2023, China’s leader announced the Global AI Governance Initiative, providing a framework for global AI development and governance.

This UN resolution aligns with the core principles of the Global AI Governance Initiative and the Global Development Initiative, reflecting the aspirations of UN member states, especially developing countries, and demonstrating strong support for multilateralism and the United Nations.

The resolution represents a significant step towards realizing the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind, as it promotes international cooperation in AI capacity building on the UN platform.

At UN meeting, Taliban asked to include women into public life

DOHA, July 2: UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo on Tuesday defended the decision to exclude civil society groups, including women's rights activists, from the two-day meeting on Afghanistan in Doha.

She stated that the Taliban authorities were informed that women must be included in public life, despite their refusal to sit across the table with Afghan civil society in this format.

The UN-hosted meeting, which began on Sunday, is the third such gathering to be held in Qatar in just over a year, but the first to include the Taliban authorities who regained power in Afghanistan in 2021.

The talks were intended to discuss increasing engagement with Afghanistan and a more coordinated response to the country, including economic issues and counter-narcotics efforts. However, the international community has struggled with its approach to the Taliban since their return to power, with no country officially recognizing their government.

The Taliban refused an invitation to Doha talks in February, insisting on being the only Afghan representatives, to the exclusion of civil society groups. However, their condition was accepted in the build-up to this latest round. The United States agreed to participate in Monday's talks after receiving assurances that the talks would meaningfully discuss human rights.

US representatives "made clear that the Afghan economy cannot grow while half the population's rights are not respected", according to State Department spokesman Vedant Patel.

DiCarlo, who chaired the UN talks in the Qatari capital, expressed hope that "there'll be new consideration" of Taliban government policy on women in public life, including girls' education.

The UN and international delegations will have the chance to meet with civil society representatives, including women's rights groups, following the close of the main meetings. However, Amnesty International chief Agnes Callamard criticized the decision to cave in to the Taliban's conditions, stating that it "would risk legitimising their gender-based institutionalised system of oppression".

The head of the Taliban delegation, spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, urged diplomats to "find ways of interaction and understanding rather than confrontation", despite "natural" differences in policy. He also pressed to end sanctions, saying Afghans are "being ganged up on".

Russia, which has maintained an embassy in Kabul, hinted it could drop its own sanctions, stating that the Taliban are the de facto authorities and must be recognized as such. DiCarlo said the issue of sanctions was raised but not discussed in depth, as it is a member-state issue whether they will continue certain sanctions or not.