All articles tagged with #united nations
The United States blamed certain states for failing to take Iran’s threats seriously, contributing to the collapse of the U.N. nuclear nonproliferation treaty (NPT) Review Conference and the absence of a consensus on an outcome document; Iran accused Washington of obstruction, while the U.N. secretary-general urged renewed diplomacy to reduce nuclear risks.
A United Nations conference reviewing the nuclear nonproliferation treaty ended without reaching a consensus, highlighting deep divisions among states on disarmament, verification, and security assurances amid ongoing global tensions.
Russia, along with seven other major emitters—including the United States and Iran—voted against a UN General Assembly non-binding climate-resolution that endorses an ICJ advisory opinion on climate obligations and potential reparations, in a 141-8 vote with 28 abstentions, highlighting ongoing tensions between accountability for climate impact and national interests.
The UN General Assembly backed the ICJ advisory ruling that states have a legal duty to protect the environment from greenhouse gas emissions, adopting a resolution urging all member states to curb planetary damage and fulfill Paris pledges, while promoting a rapid, just transition to renewable energy; the vote was 141 in favor, 8 against, 28 abstentions, signaling climate justice as a global, legal-leaning imperative and reaffirming the 1.5°C target as within reach.
According to a leaked 19 May State Department cable, Washington pressed the Palestinian Authority to withdraw its bid for a UN General Assembly vice-presidency by 22 May, warning that consequences would follow; the US argued the role could let Palestinians chair high-profile Middle East debates and undermine Trump’s plan, and suggested visa revocation and the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues as leverage. The Palestinians are running on an Asia-Pacific slate, and Riyad Mansour had previously withdrawn a candidacy after US lobbying, underscoring the pressure in play.
Artemis II’s four astronauts returned from a 10-day lunar flyby that set a new record for the farthest distance traveled by humans in space, then spoke with U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz in New York, who gifted them ‘MUNGA’ hats. The crew said their mission aimed to connect with humanity and show that space achievements can be done exceptionally well, while outlining Artemis III and IV and noting the Artemis Accords established during the Trump era.
The United States, joined by the UAE and with backing from Australia, condemned the UN's decision to appoint Iran as a vice president of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference, calling it 'beyond shameful' and signaling bloc-wide concern about Tehran’s nuclear program; Britain, France and Germany also voiced worries, highlighting tensions over Iran’s procedural elevation at international bodies as critics warn it undermines UN credibility while Tehran argues its program is civilian.
The UN’s humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher says roughly $2 billion a week in US spending on its Iran conflict could have funded saving up to 87 million lives, and he warns that normalising violent threats risks empowering autocrats and civilian targeting. He describes a cataclysmic humanitarian-aid funding shortfall amid global cuts and rising inflation, criticizes UK aid policy, questions accepting conditional funding, and urges stronger protection for aid workers as crises deepen.
As the 2027 UN Secretary-General race begins, diplomats say the next leader must restore the UN’s credibility in crisis diplomacy and peacemaking, deftly navigate great-power tensions, reform peace operations and funding, and build cross-regional coalitions while advancing gender balance and regional balance.
The Trump administration is urging countries to sign a joint declaration that prioritizes trade over aid and rejects the U.S. role as a leading humanitarian aid provider. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s cable provides diplomats with talking points to present the idea at the U.N., framing it as part of a broader push to project an optimistic
The United Nations warns that violence persists in South Sudan amid a fragile peace process, while President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riek Machar attend a pope-led Mass in Juba, underscoring ongoing humanitarian concerns and the fragile state of the country’s ceasefire.
UN Watch is demanding explanations from democracies for why “serial abusers of human rights” were elected to key UN bodies, citing Iran’s nomination to a committee and the election of China, Cuba, Nicaragua, Saudi Arabia, and Sudan to others, and warning such moves undermine human rights advocacy and the UN’s rule‑based order.
A two‑week ceasefire in the Iran conflict appears to be unraveling as Israel intensifies its bombing of Lebanon and Iran halts oil shipments over a claimed breach. Iran and Pakistan, the brokers of the truce, defend the deal while Israel’s Netanyahu disputes it, prompting reactions from Trump and a sharp condemnation from the UN rights chief as the situation darkens into a potential wider escalation.
The United States, joined by Israel and Argentina, voted against a Ghana-led UN resolution that declares the transatlantic slave trade the gravest crime against humanity and urges reparations. The nonbinding measure, backed by over 120 nations, ties slavery to ongoing racism and inequality and calls for apologies and compensation. Washington argued there is no legal right to reparations for historical wrongs, highlighting rifts with the Global South and fueling ongoing domestic debates on reparations despite continued advocacy at city and state levels.
The U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans the gravest crime against humanity and urging reparations and restitution of cultural items; the 123-3 vote included opposition from the United States, Argentina and Israel, with the UK and EU abstaining. The measure is non-binding but signals broad international support for addressing historic injustices and reparatory justice.