Several of the senators on the panel expressed concern over India’s abstention on UN votes on Ukraine…reports Asian Lite News
Hours after India had abstained on a UN General Assembly vote on Ukraine, an influential Republican Senator has cautioned that it would be “foolish” to harm bilateral ties because of it.
During a Senate panel hearing on relations with India on Wednesday where India’s abstention, the fourth on a UN vote relating to Ukraine, was highlighted, Indiana Senator Todd Young said: “It would be foolish and deeply short-sighted for the United States to harm our relationship with India over what is occurring in Ukraine”.
He and other senators at the hearing stressed India’s importance to the US because of its strategic position and the size of its population and economy.
President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other officials have been in touch with their Indian counterparts, and in the past 24 hours he had himself had contacted Indian officials, including Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.
Asked by Democrat Chris Van Halen about what was External Affairs Minister S. Jaishanker’s reason for abstention when Blinken spoke to him, Lu said that he wanted to leave open possibilities of a diplomatic solution and that he was concerned about the fate of 20,000 Indians in Ukraine and was working with both Ukraine and Russia to protect them.
Several of the senators on the panel expressed concern over India’s abstention on UN votes on Ukraine.
“At a time when democracies are closing ranks to condemn Russia’s invasion (it) is troubling to say the least to see India, the world’s largest democracy, sitting on the sidelines,” said Democrat Chris Murphy, who heads the panel that held the hearing, the Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism.
Democrat Senator Jeanne Shaheen said: “India should be on notice that this is a time when to stand up for its values.”
But Republican Senator Ted Cruz blamed the Biden administration for India’s abstention.
“Past year under the Biden administration, relations with India have worsened significantly, as was manifested, among other things in their latest abstention in the United Nations on the issue of Russia and Ukraine.”
He said that it was due to the Biden administration changing the priority of the Quad that is made up of India, the US, Japan and Australia from countering China to issues like climate change and development.
Iran, Guinea, Vanuatu resume voting rights in UNGA
Only 10 such emergency special sessions of the General Assembly have been convened since 1950, following the adoption of resolution 377A(V), widely known as ‘Uniting for Peace.’…reports Asian Lite News
The Security Council voted on Sunday to call for an emergency special session of the 193-member UN General Assembly on Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, which will be held on Monday.
The measure convening the General Assembly session was adopted by a vote of 11 in favour, with Russia voting against, and China, India and the United Arab Emirates abstaining.
The request for the Assembly to urgently convene a meeting comes after Russia vetoed on Friday a US-led draft Security Council resolution on Russia.
Since the text acted on Sunday was procedural, none of the five permanent Council members could use their vetoes. The measure needed just nine votes in favour to pass.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine has published pictures of the border service facilities in the Kyiv region that were shot by Russian troops on Thursday Feb. 24, 2022 not long after Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine.(Photo:IANS/Twitter)
Only 10 such emergency special sessions of the General Assembly have been convened since 1950, following the adoption of resolution 377A(V), widely known as ‘Uniting for Peace.’
According to UN News, that text gives the Assembly the power to take up matters of international peace and security when the Security Council is unable to act because of the lack of unanimity among its five veto-wielding permanent members.
Following statements by countries in the emergency special session, the General Assembly is expected to vote on a resolution similar to the one taken up Friday by the Security Council, UN News reported. While Assembly resolutions are non-binding, they are considered to carry political weight as they express the will of the wider UN membership.
Ukraine: The Security Council voted on Sunday to call for a rare #UNGA emergency special session, which will be held on Monday. https://t.co/HI2CemVwMo
Speaking after the vote, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, of the US, one of the countries that had requested the meeting, said the Security Council had today taken an important step towards holding Russia accountable for its aggression against Ukraine.
“By calling for an emergency special session of the General Assembly… (we) have recognized that this is no ordinary moment and that we need to take extraordinary steps to confront this threat to our international system,” she said.
The Security Council’s latest steps to end the Ukraine crisis cap a week of activity at the UN seeking a diplomatic offramp to Russian military action in the country. (ANI)
Over 550,000 people have been provided with water and sanitation hygiene assistance, including through hygiene promotion and hygiene kits…reports Asian Lite News
UN humanitarians and partners have provided food assistance to more than 9 million Afghans since the Taliban takeover in August 2021, said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Humanitarians have since September 2021 provided 9.4 million people with food assistance and reached over 145,600 children with community-based education activities, Xinhua news agency reported citing the OCHA as saying.
They have also provided more than 1.6 million people with primary and secondary health care and treated more than 275,000 children under 5 for acute malnutrition, it added.
In addition, over 550,000 people have been provided with water and sanitation hygiene assistance, including through hygiene promotion and hygiene kits, the humanitarian agency said.
Civilian casualties due to improvised explosive devices and unexploded ordnance (UXO) continue to be reported, noted the office.
On January 15, two children were reportedly killed when a UXO was accidentally detonated by a group of children playing in Helmand province.
On Sunday, two children were reportedly injured by a UXO detonation in Nangarhar province, said OCHA.
The UN Mine Action Service on January 12 carried out mine clearance operations and provided Explosive Ordnance Risk Education in villages in Lalpur District of Nangarhar province.
In addition, mine clearance operations are ongoing in Pachiragam and Chaparhar districts of the same province.
The UN’s annual World Economic Situation and Prospects report estimated the growth rate of India’s GDP at 9 per cent last year and forecast it to moderate to 6.7 per cent this year and 6.1 per cent next year but still retain the highest growth rates among the large economies, reports Arul Louis
“India’s recovery is on a solid path”, the UN said on Thursday reporting that the country recorded the highest estimated growth rate among the major economies last year and is set to be on the same trajectory during this year and the next.
The UN’s annual World Economic Situation and Prospects (WESP) report estimated the growth rate of India’s gross domestic product (GDP) at 9 per cent last year and forecast it to moderate to 6.7 per cent this year and 6.1 per cent next year but still retain the highest growth rates among the large economies.
In 2020, the year Covid-19 pandemic struck the world, India’s economy had shrunk by 7.1 per cent – a negative growth rate – according to the report.
China, which came next among the large economies, was estimated to have grown by 7.8 per cent last year and forecast to grow by 5.2 per cent this year and 5.5 per cent next year.
Overall, the global economy’s growth was estimated to be 5.5 per cent last year, bouncing back from a shrinkage of 3.4 per cent in 2020.
The growth projections are 4 per cent this year and 3.5 per cent in 2023.
The report said: “India’s economic recovery is on a solid path, amid rapid vaccination progress, less stringent social restrictions and still supportive fiscal and monetary stances.”
The WESP raised India’s growth estimate for last year by 1.7 per cent and the growth projection for this year by 0.8 per cent from the expectations in its report a year ago.
It ascribed slowing down of growth from 9 per cent last year to 6.7 per cent this year to waning base effects.
While “robust export growth and public investments underpin economic activity”, the WESP warned that “high oil prices and coal shortages could put the brakes on economic activity in the near term”.
“It will remain crucial to encourage private investment to support inclusive growth beyond the recovery,” it advised.
“Inflation is expected to decelerate throughout 2022, continuing a trend observed since the second half of 2021 when relatively restrained food prices compensated for higher oil prices,” the report said while attaching a note of caution: “A sudden and renewed rise in food inflation, however, due to unpredictable weather, broader supply disruptions and higher agricultural prices, could undermine food security, reduce real incomes and increase hunger across the South Asia) region.”
The report estimated India’s consumer price inflation at 5.9 per cent last year and projected to go down to 5.6 per cent this year and 5.3 per cent next year.
The WESP said that it expected the Reserve Bank to raise interest rates throughout this year.
In its snapshot of the world economy, the report said: “The global economic recovery is facing significant headwinds amid new waves of Covid-19 infections, persistent labour market challenges, lingering supply-chain challenges and rising inflationary pressures.”
“The momentum for growth – especially in China, the United States and the European Union – slowed considerably by the end of 2021, as the effects of monetary and fiscal stimuli began to recede and major supply-chain disruptions emerged,” according to the report.
Antonio-Guterres
Assessing the scenario in the report, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: “In this fragile and uneven period of global recovery, the World Economic Situation and Prospects 2022 calls for better targeted and coordinated policy and financial measures at the national and international levels.”
The 46 countries classified as the least developed are estimated to grow by only 1.4 per cent this year, according to the WESP.
“The time is now to close the inequality gaps within and among countries. If we work in solidarity – as one human family – we can make 2022 a true year of recovery for people and economies alike,” Guterres said.
The WESP painted a mixed picture for South Asia.
“Amid sound macroeconomic policies, Bangladesh has navigated the Covid-19 pandemic relatively well” and its “GDP is projected to expand by 6 per cent in 2022”, the report said.
Its “economic activity rides on export growth and the rising demand for apparel, robust remittance inflows, and accommodative fiscal and monetary policies”, it added.
Pakistan’s economy after an economic expansion of 4.5 per cent in 2021, is projected to grow by 3.9 per cent in 2022 “driven by private consumption, record-high remittances and fiscal support”, according to the report.
But for Sri Lanka, the WESP projected a GDP growth of 2.6 per cent for this year and said that “its major challenges include food shortages, dwindling foreign reserves and sovereign debt risks”.
Among the developed countries, the UK was projected to be the top performer with a 4.5 per cent GDP growth this year, after a 6.2 per cent estimated growth last year.
The European Union’ growth was estimated at 4.7 per cent last year and projected to be 3.9 per cent this year.
For the United States, the report estimated the growth at 5.5 per cent last year and projected it to be 3.5 per cent this year.
While the WESP used the calendar year calculations for the report to enable comparisons between countries, it also gave this growth picture for India on a fiscal year basis – 2020-2021: -(minus)10.6 per cent; 2021-22: 8.4 per cent; 2022-223: 6.5 per cent, and 2023-24: 5.9 per cent.
The increasing magnitude of severity and the levels of deprivation faced by vulnerable people requires urgent early and flexible humanitarian funding, it added…reports Asian Lite News
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Tuesday released a $1.9 billion Sudan Humanitarian Response Plan for 2022.
More than $800 million will go to life-saving activities for some of the 10.9 million vulnerable people targeted out of the 14.3 million people across Sudan in need of humanitarian assistance, it said. It is estimated that half of the highly vulnerable are in the western Darfur, with others in need living in the capital of Khartoum and South Kordofan, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Sudan is experiencing increasing humanitarian needs largely driven by the economic recession that started in 2018, acute food insecurity, conflict, large-scale displacement, natural hazards, such as floods, as well as reduced social service delivery and capacity to respond to disease outbreaks, including Covid-19,” OCHA said.
The plan covering many relief sectors includes essential health services, prevention and treatment of water-borne and vector-borne diseases and access to education, livelihoods, and water and sanitation.
The increasing magnitude of severity and the levels of deprivation faced by vulnerable people requires urgent early and flexible humanitarian funding, it added.
Last year, aid workers said they reached over 8.1 million people with assistance in Sudan.
“It also revealed our failure to learn the lessons of recent health emergencies like SARS, avian influenza, Zika, Ebola and others,” he said…reports Asian Lite News.
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has called for global solidarity to stop infectious diseases.
In his video message for the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, which falls on December 27, Guterres said that building global solidarity would “give every country a fighting chance to stop infectious diseases in their tracks.”
Covid-19 continues to demonstrate how quickly “an infectious disease can sweep across the world,” pushing health systems to the brink and upending daily life for all of humanity, the UN Chief added.
“It also revealed our failure to learn the lessons of recent health emergencies like SARS, avian influenza, Zika, Ebola and others,” he said.
“And it reminded us that the world remains woefully unprepared to stop localised outbreaks from spilling across borders and spiraling into a global pandemic,” he added.
Noting that infectious diseases remain “a clear and present danger to every country,” Guterres maintained that Covid-19 would not be the last pandemic for humanity, Xinhua news agency reported.
Even as the world responds to this health crisis, he spelled out the need to prepare for the next one.
“This means scaling-up investments in better monitoring, early detection and rapid response plans in every country — especially the most vulnerable,” he said.
“It means strengthening primary healthcare at the local level to prevent collapse… ensuring equitable access to lifesaving interventions, like vaccines for all people and … achieving universal health coverage.”
The first International Day of Epidemic Preparedness, marked on December 27, 2020, was called for by the UN General Assembly to advocate the importance of the prevention of, preparedness for and partnership against epidemics.
Taliban are blamed for 72 of the killings among over one hundred that also include people that are associated with the former Afghan government…reports Asian Lite News
UN deputy rights chief Nada Al-Nashif said that there are credible allegations that over one hundred extrajudicial killings of former security forces in Afghanistan have been carried out between August and November, Khaama Press reported.
The UN has said that the Taliban are blamed for 72 of the killings among over one hundred that also include people that are associated with the former Afghan government, the report said.
Speaking to UN Human Rights Council on Tuesday, Al-Nashif said that she was alarmed by the allegations under the Taliban rule despite their general amnesty announced by them after they recaptured power on August 15.
Taliban splinters–many from group join hardline ISIS-K to support anti-China Uyghur fighters(indianarrative)
She claimed that in several cases dead bodies are hanged and publicly displayed in particular in the eastern Nangarhar province, the report said.
“In Nangarhar province alone, there… appears to be a pattern of at least 50 extrajudicial killings of individuals suspected to be members of the ISIL-KP,” she said, with reports of “brutal methods… including hanging, beheadings, and public display of corpses”.
On the other hand, spokesperson of Afghanistan’s foreign ministry Abdul Qahar Balkhi denied the allegations and added that the government is fully committed to the decree of amnesty and added that anyone accused of the breach of the decree will be prosecuted.
CERF has released $7.5 billion to save lives and protect people in more than 100 countries over the last 15 years since its establishment by the UN General Assembly, said Guterres….reports Asian Lite News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for generous donations to the world body’s global emergency response fund.
The Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) is a proven success story. That is because it is constantly evolving, applying lessons learned and embracing innovation — in response to risks that are more complex, intertwined, and global, he told a hybrid high-level pledging event for CERF on Wednesday.
His address was read by Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths as the secretary-general is currently in self-isolation after he came into contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19, Xinhua news agency reported.
Thanks to the generosity of 130 donors, CERF has released $7.5 billion to save lives and protect people in more than 100 countries over the last 15 years since its establishment by the UN General Assembly, said Guterres.
Today, humanitarian needs are seven times what they were 15 years ago, he said. “We have seen prolonged conflicts worsen and new ones break out. Climate change is pushing communities to the brink of survival. And the battle with COVID-19, as we see so vividly these days, is still to be won.”
The scale of today’s crises demands a strong CERF with the resources it needs to rise to the challenge of responding swiftly at the onset of an emergency, he said.
This year has been one of the most difficult on record for humanitarian needs. But CERF has stepped up to the challenge. In 2020, CERF helped close to 69 million people — twice as many as the year before. Many of them were reeling from the impact of the pandemic, he said.
When violence escalated in northern Ethiopia, CERF released several allocations at critical moments to help save lives. In August, as Afghanistan was thrown into upheaval, CERF swiftly released funding so that UN agencies could scale up their emergency response and keep basic services running, particularly in the health sector. As acute hunger surged and the risk of famine grew for millions of people, CERF allocated funding for food assistance to some of the hardest-hit countries: Burkina Faso, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, South Sudan and Yemen. And CERF offered help, hope, and solidarity to those caught up in neglected crises, such as Venezuela, Cameroon and Chad, said Guterres.
CERF is indeed fast and flexible. It is one of the most effective ways to get help to people in crises, he said.
Mandate of UN peacekeeping mission in CAR renewed
CERF responds in hours, so humanitarian organizations can swing into action as soon as emergencies strike. CERF is principled, it is impartial, it is independent. And the help it provides is driven by need alone. CERF supports neglected crises when others do not. It listens to women, people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, and it prioritizes their needs. Last year, more than half of the recipients of CERF funding were women and girls. CERF is also the biggest direct donor to humanitarian programs that respond to gender-based violence, he said.
“CERF is a spark of hope in a difficult, shadowed world. Let us light that spark for the sake of our shared humanity.”
The General Assembly in 2016 endorsed the doubling of CERF to 1 billion dollars every year. This year, despite the generosity of the donors, CERF did not get close to reaching that goal, he said. “But we can do so — if member states allocate just a small percentage of their humanitarian funding through CERF each year.”
According to official figures, total contributions to CERF amount to 592.4 million dollars so far this year.
Since the 2016 endorsement of a $1-billion-dollar, contributions have never reached that goal. 2019 saw the highest contributions of $831.4 million.
Since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been awarded to some of the world’s most dynamic environmental leaders…reports Asian Lite News.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados was among those chosen by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) as its 2021 Champions of the Earth — the world body’s highest environmental honour.
The announcement was made by UNEP on Tuesday for the transformative impact of the champions on the environment and their leadership in advancing bold and decisive action on behalf of people and the planet.
Besides the Prime Minister, a scientist, indigenous women, and an entrepreneur have been shortlisted for the award.
Since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been awarded to some of the world’s most dynamic environmental leaders.
So far, it has been awarded to 101 laureates, including 25 world leaders, 62 individuals and 14 organisations. This year, UNEP received a record number of nominations from all over the world.
“As we enter into a decisive decade, to cut emissions and protect and restore ecosystems, UNEP’s Champions of the Earth demonstrate that all of us can contribute. Every single act for nature counts. The entire spectrum of humanity has both a global responsibility and a profound opportunity,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
Barbados Prime Minister @miaamormottley is a 2021 Champion of the Earth for Policy Leadership.
By working for nature, she has turned Barbados into a frontrunner in the global environmental movement.#EarthChamps for #GenerationRestoration
“This year’s champions are women who not only inspire us, but also remind us that we have in our hands the solutions, the knowledge and the technology to limit climate change and avoid ecological collapse.”
UNEP’s 2021 Champions of the Earth are: Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, honoured in the Policy Leadership category for her powerful voice for a sustainable world from the global south, consistently raises the alarm about the vulnerability of Small Island Developing States due to the climate emergency.
The Prime Minister is a driving force for climate action across the Latin American and the Caribbean region — the first to agree on the action plan for the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration.
Under her leadership, Barbados has adopted ambitious renewable energy targets, committing to a fossil-fuel free electricity sector and transport by 2030. At the same time, Barbados is implementing numerous conservation and restoration projects, from forests, through cities, to the coastline and the ocean.
She also co-chairs the One Health Global Leaders’ Group on Antimicrobial Resistance.
The Sea Women of Melanesia (Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands), honoured in the Inspiration and Action category, train local women to monitor and assess the impacts of widespread coral bleaching on some of the world’s most endangered reefs using marine science and technology.
Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (Uganda), honoured in the Science and Innovation category, was the first-ever wildlife veterinarian of the Uganda Wildlife Authority, and is a recognised world authority on primates and zoonotic diseases.
As the founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health (CTPH), she leads the implementation of three integrated strategic programs using the aOne Health’ approach.
Maria Kolesnikova (Kyrgyz Republic), honoured in the Entrepreneurial Vision category, is an environmental activist, youth advocate and head of MoveGreen, an organisation working to monitor and improve air quality in Central Asia.
Under Kolesnikova, MoveGreen developed an app called AQ.kg, which collects data every 20 minutes from the two largest Kyrgyz cities, Bishkek and Osh, about the concentration of pollutants in the air, including PM2.5, and PM10 and nitrogen dioxide.
By amplifying the significant work being done on the environmental frontlines, the Champions of the Earth awards aim to inspire and motivate more people to take to address the triple planetary crisis — climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution, chemicals and waste.
This year’s awards highlight the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, which runs until 2030, coinciding with the deadline for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
By halting and reversing the degradation of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the world can prevent the loss of one million endangered species. Scientists say restoring only 15 per cent of ecosystems in priority areas and thereby improving habitats can cut extinctions by 60 per cent.
There has never been a more urgent need to revive damaged ecosystems than now. Ecosystems support all life on earth. The healthier the ecosystems are, the healthier the planet — and its people.
Ecosystem restoration will only succeed if everyone joins the #GenerationRestoration movement to prevent, halt and reverse the degradation of ecosystems worldwide.
The minister noted that Pochampally’s unique weaving styles and patterns received special focus through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Vocal for Local’ as part of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ mission…reports Asian Lite News.
Telangana’s Pochampally village, famous for Ikkat sarees, was on Tuesday selected as one of the best tourism villages in the world by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO).
Located 50 km from Hyderabad, Pochampally in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district is often referred to as the Silk City of India for the exquisite sarees that are woven through a unique style called Ikat. This style, Pochampally Ikat, received a Geographical Indicator (GI Status) in 2004.
Ikat is a Malaysian-Indonesian word which means ‘tie and dye’. It involves the process of wrapping (or tying) and dyeing sections of bundled yarn to a predetermined colour pattern before they are woven. The dye penetrates into exposed sections while the wrapped section remains undyed. This pattern formed by the yarn in this process is woven into fabric.
With relentless efforts of @tourismgoi, I’m happy to share that #Pochampally village in #Telangana has been selected as one of the ‘Best Tourism Villages’ by @UNWTO.
Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, G. Kishan Reddy, congratulated the people of the village for the prestigious recognition, which will be presented on the occasion of the 24th session of the UNWTO General Assembly on December 2 in Madrid, Spain.
The minister noted that Pochampally’s unique weaving styles and patterns received special focus through Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Vocal for Local’ as part of the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ mission.
“On behalf of the people of Pochampally in particular and the people of Telangana, I am grateful that this award has been bestowed on the village of Pochampally. I am also grateful to the ministry officials in presenting the case for Pochampally and other entries effectively,” the minister said.
The Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO Pilot initiative aims to award those villages which are outstanding examples of rural destinations and showcase good practices in line with its specified nine evaluation areas.
It also aims to support the villages to enhance their rural tourism potential through training and access to opportunities for improvement.
The Ministry of Tourism had recommended three villages for the UNWTO Best Tourism Village entry from India — Kongthong in Meghalaya, Ladhpura Khas in Madhya Pradesh and Pochampally in Telangana.
A journey to the Telangana's major handloom cluster that will unfold facinating tales of craftmanship..
Pochampally is also known as ‘Bhoodan Pochampally’ to commemorate the Bhoodan movement that was launched by Acharya Vinobha Bhave from this village on April 18, 1951. Currently a two-room Vinobha Bhave Mandir exists within the village which was earlier the place where Vinobha Bhave resided during his visit to the village.
“The Ministry of Tourism has drafted a rural tourism policy which will not only promote tourism within our villages, but also revitalise local arts and crafts and promote rural economy. It will help redevelop and rebuild our villages and rural life and the residents of the villages will also get an opportunity to engage and interact with people from outside,” said Kishan Reddy.
