UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during an emergency special session of the UN General Assembly on Ukraine, at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 28, 2022. (Xinhua/Wang Ying/IANS)
United Nations has stocks available of food, water, non-food items, medical supplies and fuel, located in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank and Israel…reports Asian Lite News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access to Gaza and for the release of hostages kept by Hamas.
“In this dramatic moment, as we are on the verge of the abyss in the Middle East, it is my duty as Secretary-General of the United Nations to make two strong humanitarian appeals,” he said on Sunday in a statement.
“To Hamas, the hostages must be immediately released without conditions; to Israel, rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian aid must be granted for humanitarian supplies and workers for the sake of the civilians in Gaza,” he added.
“Each one of these two objectives are valid in themselves. They should not become bargaining chips,” the UN chief said.
The United Nations has stocks available of food, water, non-food items, medical supplies and fuel, located in Egypt, Jordan, the West Bank and Israel. These goods can be despatched within hours, Xinhua news agency reported.
To ensure delivery, UN staff and partners on the ground need to be able to bring these supplies into and throughout Gaza safely and without impediment to deliver to those in need, Guterres added.
Guterres called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza…reports Asian Lite News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned against the spillover of the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“We must avoid spillover of the conflict. I am concerned about the recent exchange of fire along the Blue Line (between Israel and Lebanon) and recent reported attacks from southern Lebanon,” he told a press briefing on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
“I appeal to all parties — and those who have an influence over those parties — to avoid any further escalation and spillover,” the UN chief said.
Guterres called for the immediate release of all Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Civilians must be protected at all times. International humanitarian law must be respected and upheld, he added.
About 220,000 Palestinians are now sheltering in 92 facilities run by the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees across Gaza. UN premises and all hospitals, schools and clinics must never be targeted, Guterres said.
Crucial life-saving supplies, including fuel, food and water, must be allowed into Gaza. There is a need for rapid and unimpeded humanitarian access, he said.
Guterres thanked Egypt for its “constructive engagement” to facilitate humanitarian access through Rafah, the sole crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, and to make the El Arish airport available for critical assistance.
Israel has imposed a “complete siege” of Gaza following Hamas attacks on Israel over the weekend.
Israeli fighter jets strike Gaza military post in response to rocket fire
The violence in Israel and Gaza has sent shockwaves around the world. The Israeli military has issued evacuation warnings to residents in various parts of the Gaza Strip, citing potential retaliation against Hamas
UN, Arab League call for peace as violence returns to the Middle East. Over 550 people were killed as Hamas group’s multi-front attack on Israel which provoked the Jewish state to unleash aerial bombing on civilian spots in Gaza. The toll is expected to continue to rise.
Various civilians as well as Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers are believed to have been abducted and brought into Gaza. Hamas has claimed that the number of hostages is higher than Israel knows, reports The Times of Israel.
At about 6:30 am (local time) on Saturday, a barrage of rocket fire began from Gaza into Israel, hitting several cities including Tel Aviv, Rehovot, Gedera and Ashkelon. The Israeli army has asked residents of several areas of the Gaza Strip to flee their homes in preparation for revenge attacks against Hamas.
Meanwhile, the UN Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland appeal for peace.
“This is a dangerous precipice and I appeal to all to pull back from the brink,” he said in a statement.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Tuerk said: “This attack is having a horrific impact on Israeli civilians… Civilians must never be the target of attack.”
The United Nations Security Council is due to meet on Sunday.
“Secretary-General [Antonio Guterres] is deeply concerned for the civilian population and urges maximum restraint. Civilians must be respected and protected in accordance with international humanitarian law at all times,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.
The UK criticised the attack. “The UK unequivocally condemns the horrific attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians,” said Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said. “The UK will always support Israel’s right to defend itself,” Cleverly said in a post on social media.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said that the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves against the “terror of settlers and occupation troops”, the official news agency WAFA quoted him as saying.
He was speaking at an emergency meeting held in Ramallah with a number of top officials from the Palestinian Authority.
In another development, Iran welcomes the Palestine move. An adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei said Iran supported the Palestinians’ attack, the semi-official ISNA news site reported.
“We congratulate the Palestinian fighters,” it quoted adviser Rahim Safavi as saying. “We will stand by the Palestinian fighters until the liberation of Palestine and Jerusalem.”
Iran’s foreign ministry said attacks by its ally Hamas were proof of the Palestinians’ increased confidence in the face of Israel’s occupation.
“In this operation, the element of surprise and other combined methods were used, which show the Palestinian people’s confidence in the face of the occupiers,” ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said.
The attacks “proved that the Zionist regime is more vulnerable than ever and that the initiative is in the hands of Palestinian youth,” government spokesperson Ali Bahadori-Jahromi told state news agency IRNA.
The US condemned “the appalling Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel”.
“President [Joe Biden] will continue to receive updates and White House officials remain in close contact with Israeli partners,” the White House said in a statement.
“The United States unequivocally condemns the unprovoked attacks by Hamas terrorists against Israeli civilians. There is never any justification for terrorism. We stand firmly with the government and people of Israel and extend our condolences for the Israeli lives lost in these attacks.”
US military chief Lloyd Austin said: “Over the coming days the Department of Defense will work to ensure that Israel has what it needs to defend itself and protect civilians from indiscriminate violence and terrorism.”
Call for Peace
Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged “an immediate halt to military operations in Gaza” and “the cycle of armed confrontation between the two sides”.
“Israel’s continued implementation of violent and extremist policies is a time bomb depriving the region of any serious opportunity for stability in the foreseeable future.”
Qatar’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying Israel alone was responsible for the ongoing escalation of violence with the Palestinian people, Al Jazeera reported.
It called on both sides to exercise utmost restraint and calls on the international community to prevent Israel from using these events as an excuse to launch a disproportionate war against Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
Egypt called for an “immediate cessation of violence” between Israel and the Palestinians, the state news agency reported.
Egypt warned of “grave consequences” from an escalation in tensions between Israel and the Palestinians in a statement from the foreign ministry carried by the state news agency.
It called for “exercising maximum restraint and avoiding exposing civilians to further danger”.
Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri also held a call with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell to discuss developments, stating that both sides should exercise restraint to avoid serious risks.
Surprise Attacks
Israel was taken by surprise in one of the most serious cross-border attacks it has faced in more than a generation. For months, it has been clear that there was a deepening risk of an explosion between Palestinian armed groups and Israel.
Israelis and Palestinians have been focusing on the West Bank, the territory between Jerusalem and the Jordanian border that Israel has occupied since 1967, where there has been almost continuous confrontation and violence throughout the year.
Armed Palestinians, especially those operating out of the West Bank towns of Jenin and Nablus, have attacked Israeli soldiers and Jewish settlers. The Israeli army has mounted dozens of raids. Armed settlers have taken the law into their own hands, with reprisals against Palestinian villages. No-one expected Hamas to conceive and meticulously plan such a complex and coordinated operation out of Gaza.
This was followed by several Hamas terrorists entering Israel from the Gaza Strip and taking over Israeli towns. Hamas military commander Muhammad Al-Deif called the operation “Al-Aqsa Storm” and said that the assault on Israel was a response to attacks on women, the desecration of the al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem and the ongoing siege of Gaza.
Some graphic videos showed bodies strewn in the streets of the southern city of Sderot after the attack by Palestinian militants. Cars were riddled with bullets and lit on fire. Meanwhile, the IDF has said that it has killed seven terrorists attempting to enter Israel via the Zikim Beach just north of Gaza.
The IDF says it prevented the terrorists from infiltrating into Israeli communities. The military also says that it recently struck three operational sites being used by Hamas in Gaza, as per The Times of Israel.
The Israeli security forces have also rescued an unspecified number of people who were taken hostage in a home in the southern town of Ofakim. The terrorists were killed, according to reports.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the IDF has said his country hasn’t regained full control in the wake of attacks from the militant group Hamas on Saturday. “There are still active battles between Israeli security forces and terrorists inside Gaza. And unfortunately, we have not yet been able to re-establish full control over all of our communities and all of our bases,” Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus. “This is the top priority,” he added.
Conricus during a live briefing on Sunday said: “Unprecedented attack requires unprecedented response. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Hamas has started a cruel, evil war and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will use all its strength to destroy Hamas’ capabilities.
“Hamas forces invaded Israeli territory this morning, on the morning of a holiday and Shabbat, and murdered innocent civilians, children and the elderly. Hamas started a cruel and evil war. We will win this war, but the price is too heavy to bear. This is a very difficult day for all of us,” the Israeli PM wrote on ‘X’ on Sunday.
The UN observes the International Day of Non-Violence on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi…reports Asian Lite News
Top United Nations leaders on Monday paid their tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his 154th birth anniversary, recalling his messages of peace and unity in diversity.
“This International Day of Non-Violence, we commemorate the birth of Mahatma Gandhi & recall his wise counsel,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a post on X.
“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization,” Guterres said, quoting Gandhi’s message and called on people and nations to “Let us heed his words & re-commit ourselves to this essential purpose.” President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis quoted Gandhi’s message “There is no way to peace, peace is the way”. The words are inscribed on a plaque on the bust of Mahatma Gandhi installed at the North Lawn of the world body’s headquarters.
The Gandhi bust is a gift from India to the UN and was installed in the expansive North Lawn during India’s Presidency of the 15-nation UN Security Council in December 2022. Francis said the International Day of Non-Violence marks the birth anniversary of Gandhi, a beacon of peace & non-violence.
“Let us embrace Gandhi’s message and invest in peace; this is an investment in our collective prosperity,” he said in a post on X. The UN observes the International Day of Non-Violence on October 2, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi.
“On this International Day of Non-Violence, we commemorate not only the birth of Mahatma Gandhi but also the timeless values he championed: mutual respect and understanding, justice, and the power of peaceful action.”
According to General Assembly resolution of June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”.
The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said, “On the International Day of Non-Violence, let us reaffirm our commitment to peace, justice, and equality for all”.
Celebrations in NY
India’s Consulate General in New York on Monday celebrated Gandhi Jayanti and the International Day of Non-violence in Manhattan in collaboration with Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.
The Consul General urged the gathering to bring more of Bapu’s life and legacy into their daily existence. He talked about the Swachh Bharat campaign and its Gandhian inspiration.
“Consulate in collaboration with Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan marked Gandhi Jayanti and International Day of Non-violence in Manhattan, New York. The Consul General urged the gathering to bring more of Bapu’s life and legacy into their daily existence. He talked about the Swachh Bharat campaign and its Gandhian inspiration. The Mahatma’s ideas on social harmony and respect for the environment are critical for building a better tomorrow,” as per the Consulate General in New York’s official handle on ‘X’ formerly Twitter.
Meanwhile, the Indian Ambassador to Russia Pavan Kapoor on Monday offered floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi and emphasized the relevance of the Father of the Nation and his message on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
Furthermore, there was a quiz about Mahatma Gandhi’s life, and children from the Embassy of India School and Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Center in Moscow, Russia, sang some of Bapu’s favourite bhajans.
“On #GandhiJayanti, @AmbKapoor paid floral tributes and highlighted the pertinence of #MahatmaGandhi and his message today. There was a quiz on the life of the #Mahatma, and some of Bapu’s favourite bhajans were sung by children from the Embassy of India School & @iccr_moscow,” as per the Indian Embassy in Russia’s official handle on ‘X’ formerly Twitter.
The Chief Justice of India Dhananjaya Yeshwant Chandrachud and Indian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Vikram Doraiswami also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue installed at the centre of Tavistock Square in London, UK.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi at Delhi’s Rajghat.
In a post shared on X, PM Modi stated Mahatma Gandhi’s impact is global and his “timeless teachings will continue to illuminate our path.”
PM Modi on X posted, “I bow to Mahatma Gandhi on the special occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. His timeless teachings continue to illuminate our path. Mahatma Gandhi’s impact is global, motivating the entire humankind to further the spirit of unity and compassion. May we always work towards fulfilling his dreams. May his thoughts enable every youngster to be the agent of change he dreamt of, fostering unity and harmony all over.” (ANI)
The UN experts were also informed of the exponential increase in the number of boarding schools for other Muslim and minority children in Xinjiang in recent years…reports Asian Lite News
The United Nations expressed concern over the allegations of a significant expansion of Xinjiang’s State-run boarding school system in China which fails to provide education in the children’s mother tongue and forcibly separates Uyghur and other minority Muslim children from their families and communities, leading to their forced assimilation, said an official press release from United Nations Human Rights.
“We are deeply concerned that boarding schools in Xinjiang are teaching almost exclusively in the official language with little or no use of Uyghur as medium of instruction and that the separation of mainly Uyghur and other minority children from their families could lead to their forced assimilation into the majority Mandarin language and the adoption of Han cultural practices,” the UN experts said, stressing the discriminatory nature of the policy and the violation of minorities’ right to education without discrimination, family life and cultural rights.
The release added that the experts received information about the large-scale removal of children, mainly Uyghur, from their families, including very young children whose parents are in exile or “interned”/detained. These children are treated as “orphans” by State authorities and placed in full-time boarding schools, pre-schools, or orphanages where the language used is almost exclusively Mandarin (Putonghua).
“Uyghur and other minority children in highly regulated and controlled boarding institutions may have little interaction with their parents, extended family or communities for much of their youth,” the experts said.
“This will inevitably lead to a loss of connection with their families and communities and undermine their ties to their cultural, religious and linguistic identities,” they said.
The release from the UN said that the Uyghur children placed in these boarding schools reportedly have little or no access to education in the Uyghur language and are under increasing pressure to speak and learn only Mandarin (Putonghua), as opposed to education aimed at achieving bilingualism in both Uyghur and Mandarin. Teachers can also be sanctioned for using the Uyghur language outside of specific language classes.
The UN experts were also informed of the exponential increase in the number of boarding schools for other Muslim and minority children in Xinjiang in recent years, and the closure of local schools where education through the medium of Uyghur and other minority languages could be provided. “The massive scale of the allegations raises extremely serious concerns of violations of basic human rights,” they said.
According to the release the United Nations experts have been in contact with the Chinese Government regarding these issues. (ANI)
New York, Sep 26 (ANI): External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar greets prior to addressing the United Nations General Assembly, in New York on Tuesday. (ANI Photo)
Hailing the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member in the G20 grouping, Jaishankar emphasised that the adoption of reform would make the UNSC relevant…reports Asian Lite News
Addressing the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday called on the United Nations to make reforms to stay relevant in the modern world and said that the issue cannot remain “indefinite” and “unchallenged”.
Jaishankar took a jibe at some nations and said, “In our deliberations, we often advocate promotion of a rules-based order. From time to time, respect for the UN Charter is also involved. But for all the talk, it is still a few nations which shape the agenda and seek to define the norms. This can’t go on indefinitely nor will it go unchallenged. A fair, equitable and democratic order will surely emerge once we all put our minds to it. And for a start, that means ensuring that rule-makers do not subjugate rule-takers.”
Hailing the inclusion of the African Union as a permanent member in the G20 grouping under India’s G20 presidency, Jaishankar emphasised that the adoption of reform would make the Security Council relevant to the modern world.
“It was also noteworthy that at India’s initiative, the African Union was a permanent member of the G20. By doing so, we gave voice to an entire continent which has long been its due. This significant step in reform should inspire the United Nations, a much older organisation, to also make the Security Council contemporary. Broad representation is after all, a pre-requisite for both effectiveness and credibility,” said Jaishankar.
Notably, reforms in the global systems have been an issue continuously raised by India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the global stage.
During his concluding address at the G20 Leaders Summit in New Delhi, PM Modi reiterated his stance of making global systems in accordance with the “realities of the present” and took the example of the United Nations Security Council.
“When the UN was established, the world at that time was completely different from today. At that time there were 51 founding members in the UN. Today the number of countries included in the UN is around 200. Despite this, the permanent members in UNSC are still the same,” he said.
In his address, EAM stressed the impact of giving a platform to 125 nations in the G20 agenda and highlighted that the issues that deserve global attention were addressed in the summit.
Jaishankar pointed out, “Recognising that growth and development must focus on the most vulnerable, we began presidency by convening the Voice of the Global South Summit. This enabled us to hear directly from 125 nations and place their concerns on the G20 Agenda. As a consequence, issues which deserve global attention got a fair hearing.”
Addressing the 78th United Nations General Assembly, Jaishankar said India began its G20 presidency by convening the Voice of the Global South Summit, recognising that growth and development must focus on the marginal people as well.
He said the world is witnessing an exceptional period of turmoil. Jaishankar began his address with “Namaste from Bharat!”.
“Our fullest support to this UNGA’s theme of rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity. This is an occasion to take stock of our achievements and challenges even while sharing our aspirations and goals. Indeed, in regard to both, there is much that India has to share,” he said.
“When the UN was established, the world at that time was completely different from today. At that time there were 51 founding members in the UN. Today the number of countries included in the UN is around 200. Despite this, the permanent members in UNSC are still the same,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that a lot has changed in the world since that time, be it transport, communication, health, or education, every sector has been transformed.
“These new realities should be reflected in our new global structure. It is a law of nature that individuals and organizations that fail to adapt to changing times inevitably lose their relevance. We must think with an open mind as to what is the reason that many regional forums have come into existence in the past years, and they are also proving to be effective,” he further said. (ANI)
After meeting Jaishankar, the UNGA president said the meeting focussed on key issues and priorities, including the UNSC reforms…reports Asian Lite News
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday (local time) met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN Headquarters in New York.
Jaishankar and Guterres discussed how India’s G20 Presidency has contributed to strengthening the UN’s sustainable development agenda.
Taking to X, formerly known as Twitter, Jaishankar stated, “Pleasure to meet with UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres at UN Headquarters. Discussed how India’s G20 Presidency has contributed to strengthening @UN’s sustainable development agenda. We have coordinated closely in this regard over the last year. Appreciate UNSG’s strong commitment to reforming International Financial Institutions.”
Pleasure to meet with UN Secretary General @antonioguterres at UN Headquarters.
Discussed how India’s G20 Presidency has contributed to strengthening @UN’s sustainable development agenda. We have coordinated closely in this regard over the last year.
India hosted the recently concluded G20 Summit in Delhi on September 9-10. The mega G20 Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam in the national capital.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar held a meeting with United Nations General Assembly President Dennis Francis. Jaishankar and Francis agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues that exist in today’s time.
Taking to X, Jaishankar stated, “Began the morning by meeting @UN_PGA Dennis Francis at UN Headquarters. Welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency. Confident that it would contribute to the UN General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations. Agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues of our times.”
After meeting Jaishankar, the UNGA president said the meeting focussed on key issues and priorities, including the UNSC reforms.
Francis on X posted, “Delighted to meet External Affairs Minister of India, H.E. @DrSJaishankar. Congratulated India’s successful #G20 Chairmanship, especially on India’s unwavering advocacy in support of the Global South. Discussed #UNGA78 priorities and key issues, including UNSC reform and building on the outcomes of the #SDGSummit ahead of the Summit of the Future.”
EAM Jaishankar also met Madagascar counterpart Yvette Sylla. The two leaders discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defence cooperation.
In a post shared on X, Jaishankar stated, “A warm meeting with our SAGAR partner, FM of Madagascar, Yvette Sylla today. Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defense cooperation.”
A warm meeting with our SAGAR partner, FM of Madagascar, Yvette Sylla today.
Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defense cooperation. #UNGA78pic.twitter.com/uVbSNPWCb9
Madagascar is a SAGAR partner of India. Launched in 2020, Mission SAGAR is a global initiative along the lines of the Sagar doctrine. India launched this mission to provide relief aid to Indian Ocean countries following the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative covers Maldives, Mauritius, Madagascar, Comoros, and Seychelles.
Jaishankar is in New York to lead the Indian delegation for the UNGA session. He will address the United Nations General Assembly on September 26, according to an official statement by the Ministry of External Affairs. After concluding his visit to New York, he will travel to Washington, DC. (ANI)
The “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative” builds upon the extensive cooperation in development and capacity building that India already has bilaterally with its partner countries, the release said…reports Asian Lite News
India and the United Nations have launched a joint “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative” that aims to share India’s development experiences, best practices and expertise with partner countries in the Global South through capacity building and training programs, said a release from the United Nations.
According to the official release, the initiative was announced at an event titled “India-UN for the Global South–Delivering for Development” in New York on 23 September 2023 in the presence of the External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
The event also saw the participation of Dennis Francis, President of the 78th General Assembly, Fiame Naomi Mata’afa, Prime Minister of Samoa, Tandi Dorji, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bhutan, Vince Henderson, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy, Dominica, Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, Guyana.
Maneesh Gobin, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade, Mauritius, Alva Romanus Baptiste, Minister for External Affairs, International Trade, Civil Aviation and Diaspora Affairs, St. Lucia, Ahmed Khaleel, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Maldives, Achim Steiner, Administrator, UNDP, Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Commissioner for India were also present in the event.
The “India-UN Capacity Building Initiative” builds upon the extensive cooperation in development and capacity building that India already has bilaterally with its partner countries, the release said.
The India-UN initiative also complements the India-UN partnership in the form of “India-UN Development Partnership Fund” which has developed a portfolio of 75 development projects in 61 countries in the last 6 years.
As part of this initiative, the UN India team and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will partner to leverage India’s Technical and Economic Cooperation platform to share India’s development experiences and best practices across the world.
The release informed that a Joint Declaration of Intent was also exchanged on Sunday between the UN Resident Coordinator in India and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to this effect.
This Initiative will also operationalise the development-relevant deliverables of India’s G20 Presidency, including the G20 Action Plan for Accelerating Progress on the SDGs, technological transformation and building Digital Public Infrastructure, among others.
The united nations marked the initiative as a significant contribution to global efforts towards accelerating momentum for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by strengthening South-South Cooperation and reflects India’s continuing efforts to strengthen its development partnership with the Global South.
The release added that the initiative carries forward the successful G20 Presidency of India which saw inclusion of the voice of Global South into the G20 agenda and entry of the African Union into the grouping. (ANI)
Fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15 after the collapse of a plan to integrate the army and the RSF, led by Burhan’s former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is known as Hemedti…reports Asian Lite News
Sudan’s army chief warned the United Nations that months of war in his country could spill over into the region, and he called for international pressure to be placed on the paramilitary forces he is fighting, including their designation as “terrorists”.
Army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, speaking at the UN following a string of foreign trips, called on the international community on Thursday to designate the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) as a terrorist organisation and to target its sponsors outside Sudan’s borders – an allusion to ties with Russia’s Wagner mercenaries.
“The danger of this war is now a threat to regional and international peace and security as those rebels have sought the support of outlaws and terrorist groups from different countries in the region and the world,” Burhan said.
“This is like the spark of war, a war that will spill over to other countries in the region,” he said.
“Regional and international interference to support these groups is crystal clear by now. This means that this is the first spark that will burn the region, and will have a direct impact on regional and international peace and security,” he added.
Fighting broke out in Sudan on April 15 after the collapse of a plan to integrate the army and the RSF, led by Burhan’s former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is known as Hemedti.
Both sides blamed the other for starting the war that erupted in the capital Khartoum and has spread to other parts of the country including the western region of Darfur, killing at least 7,500, according to reports, displacing more than five million people and threatening to destabilise the region. At the UN, Burhan urged world powers to designate the RSF as “terrorists”.
“They have committed all sorts of crimes that give grounds for such a designation,” he said. “Those who have supported killing, burning, raping, forced displacement, looting, stealing, torture, trafficking of arms and drugs, bringing mercenaries or recruiting children – all such crimes necessitate accountability and punishment.”
In a video message released on Thursday, shortly before Burhan spoke at the UN, RSF leader Hemedti said his forces were fully prepared for a ceasefire and comprehensive political talks to end the conflict. “Today, we renew our commitment to the peaceful process to put a halt to this war,” Hemedti said.
“The RSF are fully prepared for a ceasefire throughout Sudan to allow the passage of humanitarian aid … and to start serious and comprehensive political talks,” he said.
Previous assertions by the army and the RSF that they are seeking a solution to the conflict, as well as announcements of ceasefires by both sides, have failed to stop the bloodshed and the deepening of a humanitarian crisis in Sudan.
The polarised Council has been deadlocked because Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member and is also the invader making decisions impossible…reports Asian Lite News
India has raised the ineffectiveness of the Security Council in finding a solution to the Ukraine crisis and said that unless the “systemic flaw” responsible for it was fixed through reforms, the UN will lack credibility.
Speaking on Thursday at the Council debate on Ukraine, Sanjay Verma, Secretary (West) in India’s External Affairs Ministry, asked: “Why is it that the UN system, and particularly its principal organ, this very UN Security Council, mandated to primarily maintain international peace and security, rendered completely ineffective to the resolution of the ongoing conflict?”
“For multilateralism to be effective, outdated and archaic structures need reform and reinventing, else their credibility will always be on the wane. And unless we fix that systemic flaw, we will continue to be found wanting,” he said.
The polarised Council has been deadlocked because Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member and is also the invader making decisions impossible.
Verma criticised Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but as India has in the past without naming Moscow: “The global order that we all subscribe to, is based on international law, principles of the UN Charter and respect for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of all States. These principles must be upheld, without exception.”
“We have always advocated that no solution can ever be arrived at the cost of human lives. Escalation of hostilities and violence is in no one’s interest,” he said.
“We continue to advocate Prime Minister Modi’s view that ‘this is not an era of war’. On the contrary, it is a time for development and cooperation,” Verma said.
“It is indeed vital that we continue to believe in the promise of diplomacy and that eventually, it is always dialogue and diplomacy that delivers,” he said.
Verma said that the collateral damage from the war has devastated the Global South and the voices of these countries should be heard and their perspectives taken into account.
“India’s G20 Presidency has ensured that some of these economic pitfalls faced by developing countries were brought to the forefront of the G20 Agenda and through a consensus-based approach a road map agreed upon, which also provided solutions for countries facing debt distress,” he said.
