UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis praises India’s leadership at the UN, highlighting its commitment to multilateralism and its potential to contribute significantly to global affairs. He emphasizes India’s role in South-South cooperation and its expertise in digitalization, while also discussing the importance of Security Council reform and the upcoming Summit of the Future.
The United States and Ecuador have proposed a UN peacekeeping force to replace the current Kenyan-led mission in Haiti, aiming to stabilize the country amidst escalating gang violence. The proposal comes after a funding crisis for the Kenyan mission and despite concerns about past UN peacekeeping operations in Haiti.
India has criticized the United Nations Security Council’s annual report as lacking substance, calling it a mere compilation of meeting details and lacking analysis. India’s representative at the UN also highlighted the need for comprehensive reform of the Security Council, including expansion of both permanent and non-permanent members.
On Friday, India supported a UN General Assembly resolution affirming Palestine’s eligibility and recommending its admission as a full member. This move follows the US veto of a similar Security Council resolution in April. The resolution emphasizes Palestine’s compliance with UN Charter requirements and urges the Security Council to reconsider the matter positively. Notably, India has a long history of recognizing Palestine, having established diplomatic relations since 1974.
Russia has vetoed a United Nations resolution sponsored by the United States and Japan that called on all nations to prevent a dangerous nuclear arms race in outer space. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 13 in favor, Russia opposed and China abstaining. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after the vote that Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space. “Today’s veto begs the question: Why? Why, if you are following the rules, would you not support a resolution that reaffirms them? What could you possibly be hiding,” she asked. “It’s baffling. And it’s a shame.” Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia dismissed the resolution as “absolutely absurd and politicized,” and said it didn’t go far enough in banning all types of weapons in space. Russia and China proposed an amendment to the U.S.-Japan draft that would call on all countries, especially those with major space capabilities, “to prevent for all time the placement of weapons in outer space, and the threat of use of force in outer spaces.” The vote was 7 countries in favor, 7 against, and one abstention and the amendment was defeated because it failed to get the minimum 9 “yes” votes required for adoption.
