In Historic First UN Celebrates Diwali
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 30:
In a historic first, the United Nations celebrated the Indian festival of Diwali. The imposing building of the UN headquarter in New York was lit up on Saturday evening to celebrate the spirit of Diwali.
The headquarter, which is being lit up for three evenings, displayed a 'diya', a traditional Indian lamp with the message of Happy Diwali.
India's Ambassador to the Permanent Mission to UN Syed Akbaruddin said New Delhi received support of several countries who celebrate Diwali.
In a tweet he said: "Happy Diwali! @UN celebrates Diwali for 1st time. Thank you @UN_PGA for this initiative."
In another tweet he thanked thanked General Assembly President Peter Thomson for the initiative.
"Diwali symbolises the triumph of good over evil. UN is a force for good globally. We are thankful to the President of General Assembly Peter Thompson of Fiji who understands the relevance of Diwali in a multicultural environment and society...".
He also tweeted a picture of passers-by clicking photographs of the building as well as being themselves clicked against the illuminated UN headquarters in the background.
Thomson also tweeted a picture of the UN building lit up in bright blue for Diwali and said "Light over darkness, hope over despair, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil - the UN lights up. Happy Diwali!"
President of General Assembly Peter Thompson also lit up a lamp to mark the occasion in the presence of select gathering.
A traditional Indian cultural programme was also presented on the occasion.
It is for the first time that the Indian festival of lights is celebrated at the world body after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December, 2014 that acknowledged the "significance of Diwali".
Noting that the festival is observed in many UN member states, the resolution had called on UN bodies to avoid holding meetings on Diwali, declaring it a no-meeting day.
From 2016 onwards, Diwali was made an optional holiday for the UN.
Earlier in June, the UN building was lit up on the occasion of the International Yoga Day, with images of Yoga postures projected on the imposing headquarters.
While the legendary Empire State Building was draped in the tricolour on August 15 to mark India's Independence Day. But it is for the first time that UN is celebrating the Festival of Lights, or any major festival across the globe.
UNGA appoints Antonio Guterres as next Secretary General
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 13: The UN general assembly on Thursday elected Antonio Guterres as the next secretary-general of the United Nations. The 193 UN member states elected Guterres, a former Portuguese prime minister, by acclamation. He takes over from Ban Ki-moon on January 1.
The General Assembly president Peter Thompson introduced the resolution to elect Gutteres, said members wanted it adopted by acclamation, and banged his gavel in approval as diplomats broke into applause.
Guterres “embodies the highest standards of competence, integrity and leadership,” Thompson said.
The 67-year-old Guterres, who served as the UN refugee chief for 10 years until last December, was nominated by acclamation by the Security Council last week after its sixth informal poll. He topped all six polls, which included a total of 13 candidates — seven women and six men.
Guterres’ selection disappointed many who had campaigned for the first woman or the first representative from an Eastern European country to lead the world body, but diplomats stressed they were voting for the best candidate regardless of other criteria.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon referred to Guterres’ decade as UN high commissioner for human rights. Ban told the assembly that Guterres is “best known where it counts most, on the front lines of armed conflict and humanitarian suffering.”
In addition to “deep and solid political experience” including two terms as Portugal’s prime minister, Ban said, “his political instincts are those of the United Nations — cooperation for the common good and shared responsibility for people and the planet.”
Guterres will be the ninth secretary-general in the organization’s 71-year history.
Pakistan greatest threat to world peace: India tells UN
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 11: India has told the United Nations that there was a dangerous correlation between Pakistan's unchecked development of nuclear weapons and the close nexus between the state and jihadi groups, and this posed the greatest threat to the world.
Responding to a reference to Jammu & Kashmir by Pakistan's envoy to the Conference on Disarmament, Tehmina Janjua, Indian envoy Venkatesh Verma said here on Monday "The biggest threat to peace and stability comes from active promotion of terrorism and unbridled expansion of fissile material production and delivery systems for nuclear weapons under the shadow of a deeply disturbing and deeply entrenched nexus between state entities and non-state actors."
The Indian response came after Janjua orally added a reference to the " Jammu and Kashmir dispute" to Pakistan's statement in the 'first committee' which concerns itself with disarmament and non-proliferation issues. The remark was not there in her written statement. Verma responded by reminding the UN that "nuclear proliferation linkages which are active today have clear Pakistan fingerprints".
In the UN, the Pakistani diplomat trod a beaten path by offering a set of "proposals" that have long been rejected by India - "simultaneous application of IAEA safeguards on all nuclear facilities and bilateral arrangement for their reciprocal inspections, simultaneous accession to NPT, regional CTBT" etc. "Just last month, our prime minister underlined Pakistan's resolve to maintain strategic stability in its region... expressed readiness to agree on a bilateral arrangement," Janjua said.
Verma, in response, described the Pakistani proposals as "self-serving" and said it was "ironic that a country whose non-proliferation track record is marked by obstructionism seeks to convince the international community on its self-serving proposals".
"It is a matter of record that Pakistan is singularly responsible for blocking the international disarmament agenda and the Conference on Disarmament," he said. Pakistan has blocked all movement on a fissile material cut-off treaty.
Security Council votes Antonio Guterres to be next UN Secy Gen
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 6: The UN Security Council on Thursday unanimously voted Antonio Guterres to be the next secretary-general. During a closed-door meeting, the 15 council members adopted a resolution formally presenting Guterres as their choice to be the world’s diplomat-in-chief to the General Assembly.
During a closed-door meeting, the 15 council members adopted a resolution formally presenting Guterres as their choice to be the world’s diplomat-in-chief to the General Assembly.
Applause rang out in the chamber following the adoption of the measure recommending Guterres for a five-year term from January 1.
The 67-year-old socialist politician, who will be the first former head of government to become UN chief, has pledged to revamp the global diplomatic body to boost its peacemaking efforts and promote human rights.
A vote by the assembly’s 193 member-states to endorse the successor to Ban Ki-moon is expected next week, probably on Thursday.
The unanimous backing for Guterres followed an informal vote on Wednesday during which 13 of the 15 members supported his candidacy and none of the five veto-holding powers blocked him.
Speaking in Rome, Ban hailed Guterres as a “superb choice”, saying that “his wide knowledge of world affairs and lively intellect will serve him well in leading the UN in a critical period.”
The choice of Guterres confounded some UN diplomats who did not expect such an outspoken candidate with strong political experience to win support from the permanent council members: Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States.
Guterres will be confronted with a long list of pressing world crises when he takes over the world body in January, from the war in Syria to the refugee crisis.
“The role of the UN has never been as important as it is today and for that Mister Guterres is the right leader,” said French Ambassador Francois Delattre.
Ukrainian Ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko said Guterres must “return leadership to the United Nations” to address crises in Syria and Ukraine, African conflicts and the Middle East.
Guterres, who served as Portugal prime minister from 1995 to 2002 and as UN high commissioner for refugees until December, won the number-one spot in all of the informal votes held by the Security Council.
Paris climate agreement comes into effect from Nov 5
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 5: The landmark Paris agreement on climate change will enter into force in 30 days, after the number of countries ratifying the accord surpassed a key threshold on Wednesday.
UN spokesman Farhan Haq said the EU, Canada and Nepal are all expected to deposit their instruments of ratification over the course of the day.
“By the end of the day, we expect the Paris agreement on climate change to have crossed the second and final threshold needed for it to enter into force,” Haq said.
The deal takes effect 30 days after 55 countries, accounting for at least 55% of global emissions, have adopted it. Sixty-two countries had done so as of Tuesday but they accounted only for about 52% of emissions.
“The Secretary-General has been very encouraged by the tremendous positive support from a broad coalition of countries from the largest emitters to the small island developing states to bring the Paris agreement to life as soon as possible,” Haq said.
With the addition of Nepal, Canada and the seven EU countries that have so far ratified the deal, the countries now account for 58.7% of emissions.
“It’s clearly a momentous moment in terms of global action on climate change,” said David Waskow, international climate director at World Resources Institute. “This has been much more rapid than anticipated and demonstrates political support for the agreement.”
The Paris agreement commits rich and poor countries to take action to curb the rise in global temperatures that is melting glaciers, raising sea levels and shifting rainfall patterns. It requires governments to present national plans to reduce emissions to limit global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).
While the targets in the agreement are not legally binding, the treaty does require countries to report on emissions and their progress on reaching the goals in the national climate plans they submitted to the U.N. The countries are also required to maintain those plans, update them every five years and to pursue measures to implement their stated goals.
International momentum had been building to ensure that the deal could enter force by the next U.N. climate conference, which starts November 7 in Marrakech, Morocco.
Antonio Guterres to be next UN secretary general
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 5: Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Guterres is poised to be the next secretary-general of the United Nations as after the sixth secret ballot here on Wednesday none of the five UN Security Council permanent members used their veto powers against him.
The 15-member Security Council cast secret ballots for each of the 10 candidates with the choices of encourage, discourage or no opinion. Guterres received 13 encourage votes and two no opinion votes.
Soon after the vote, Russian UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin and Security Council President for October told newsmen: “Today after our sixth straw poll we have a clear favorite and his name is Antonio Guterres.” In an unexpected move, he was flanked by all the other 14 Security Council colleagues.
“We have decided to go to a formal vote tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock, and we hope it can be done by acclamation,” said Churkin.
Wednesday’s round of informal straw polls was significant because for the first time, the five permanent Council members -- the US, Britain, France, Russia and China -- used color-coded ballots that signified vetoes of candidates. Guterres escaped the vetoes and received more than the minimum nine votes needed to prevail.
On Thursday, the Council will formalize its decision in a vote and after that put the decision in a resolution. The council will then sends its recommendation to the UN General Assembly which his expected to rubber stamp the Guterres selection.
Women’s-rights activists had mounted a spirited campaign for a female secretary-general, the first in the 71-year-old organization’s history. A total of 13 candidates, including seven women, were in the running for the post. A late push for European Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva of Bulgaria, who enjoyed support from Moscow, was not enough to halt the growing consensus for Guterres.
Guterres, 67, was Portugal’s prime minister from 1992 to 2002. He led the UN Refugee Agency for a decade from 2005-2015.
International Day of Non-violence marked at UN
India hands over Instrument of Ratification of Paris Agreement
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2: Mahatma Gandhi must have had a big smile on him today. On his 147th birth anniversary celebrated as "Gandhi Jayanti", Ambassador Sayed Akbaruddin, India's Permanent Representative to the UN, had lined up four major events to mark the International Day of Non-Violence here on Sunday.
The first was India deposited its Instrument of Ratification to the Paris Agreement under the Convention on Climate change today.
The second, the UN Postal Administration released a commemorative postal stamp to celebrate 100th birth anniversary of music legend Bharat Ratna Dr M S Subbalakshmi.
The third was a memorable concert by India's leading Carnatic singer Sudha Ragunathan.
The fourth was line up of leading personalies of the likes of UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, President of the UN General Assembly Peter Thomson and keynote address by Dr Barry L. Gan, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Center for Nonviolence at St. Bonaventure University.
Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin handed over the Instrument of Ratification signed by President Pranab Mukherjee, to Santiago Villalpando, the Head of the Treaties Division at the UN, at a special ceremony at United Nations attended by top officials and senior diplomats.
The day also commemorates the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi who epitomized a lifestyle with the smallest carbon footprint.
With this India became the 62nd country to ratify the Agreement taking the cumulative emission of the countries that have ratified the Agreement so far to 51.89%.
Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin said this significant contribution towards the early entry into force of the Paris Agreement underlines Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to global cause of environmental protection and climate justice and reaffirms India’s responsive leadership in addressing the impact of climate change.
On behalf of UN Postal Administration, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Central Support Services Stephen Cutts released a commemorative postal stamp to celebrate 100th birth anniversary of music legend Bharat Ratna Dr. M S Subbulakshmi. He presented the first stamp to renowned Carnatic singer Sudha Raghunathan.
To mark the International Day of Non-violene, Sudha Raghunathan mesmerised the audience with her soulful singing.
UN Secy Gen congratulates India for joining Paris Agreement
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2: The UN Secretary-General, Mr Ban Ki-moon, has warmly congratulated India for ratifying and formally joining the Paris Agreement on Sunday. He said "India’s leadership builds on the continued strong political momentum from Paris for urgent global action on climate change."
India now joins the 61 other Parties that have deposited their instruments of ratification, which, including India, together account for close to 52 per cent of total global greenhouse emissions. India’s leadership moves the world an important step closer toward the 55 per cent threshold needed for the historic agreement's entry into force this year.
The Secretary-General called on all Parties to accelerate their domestic procedures in order to join the agreement as soon as possible this year. Action on climate change is crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and creating a more prosperous, equitable and livable future for all people.
Peace Begins with Respect for Others: Ban Ki-moon
By Deepak Arora
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 2: UN Secretary General Bagknn Ki-moon has said that a culture of non-violence begins with respect for others, but it does not end there. In a message on International Day of Non-violence, he said "to nurture peace, we must respect nature."
The UN Secretary General said that he was pleased that this year’s International Day of Non-violence puts the focus on sustainability and the environment.
He said "Every year on the International Day of Non-violence, we recommit ourselves to the cause of peace, as exemplified by the life of Mahatma Gandhi who was born on this day 147 years ago."
In all he did, Mr Ban Ki-moon said "Gandhi honoured our obligation to all living things. He reminded us that 'Earth provides enough to satisfy everyone’s needs, but not everyone’s greed'. Gandhi also challenged us to 'be the change we wish to see in the world'."
He said today that commitment was reflected in a momentous way as India deposited its instrument of ratification to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. "What better way to commemorate Mahatma Gandhi and his legacy for people and planet," he added.
