‘We cannot abandon’ rules-based world order, Singapore urges in UN speech
Sep 30, 2018, at 04:22 pm
New York, Sept 30 (IBNS): Multilateralism may have occasionally been “oversold as a panacea”, but the world cannot abandon the rules-based world order which has brought peace and prosperity during the lifetime of the United Nations, Singapore’s Foreign Minister told the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday.
‘Lack of trust’ among nations threatens progress, rules-based order, Suriname Minister tells UN
Sep 30, 2018, at 04:20 pm
New York, Sept 30 (IBNS): Suriname agrees with the United Nations Secretary-General that a lack of trust among countries is the fundamental issue confronting the international community, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Suriname told UN General Assembly on Saturday.
Sep 30, 2018, at 04:17 pm
New York, Sept 30 (IBNS): The Philippines, under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte, is on track to reverse its decline towards becoming a “Narco State”, or one that is being “held hostage” by the rich and powerful, said its Foreign Affairs minister at the United Nations General Assembly’s annual debate on Saturday.
Canada Foreign Affairs Minister Freeland postpones UNGA speech, back in Canada
Sep 29, 2018, at 10:25 pm
Ottawa, Sept 29 (IBNS): Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland came back to Canada after postponing her marquee speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) untill Monday, media reports said.
Sep 29, 2018, at 08:10 am
New York, Sept 29 (IBNS): Addressing the United Nations General Assembly’s annual debate, a minister from Myanmar “resolutely rejected” an International Criminal Court (ICC) ruling in connection with the country’s restive Rakhine state, underscoring that the tribunal has “no jurisdiction over Myanmar whatsoever.”
Malaysian Prime Minister paints dismal world picture, underscores need for UN reform
Sep 29, 2018, at 08:07 am
New York, Sept 29 (IBNS): In the 15 years since he last addressed the General Assembly, little has changed in the world and it is in far worse shape now than it was then, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad lamented in his speech to world leaders gathered at the United Nations.
Sep 29, 2018, at 08:04 am
New York, Sept 29 (IBNS): All parts of the United Nations “must embrace this opportunity to change and create real improvements to the benefit of the people,” Ulla Tørnæs, Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation, said on Friday, stressing that the world body’s Member States had thrown their support behind the Secretary-General's ambitions reform agenda and now it was time to make those proposals a reality.
Sep 29, 2018, at 08:01 am
New York, Sept 29 (IBNS): Germany’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Heiko Maas, outlined on Friday at the United Nations General Assembly a list of crises in the world, singling out “the crisis of multilateralism” as being at the root, frustrating solutions.
Russia’s Lavrov denounces from UN podium West’s ‘brute force’ pursuit of domination
Sep 29, 2018, at 07:58 am
New York, Sept 29 (IBNS): Denouncing their use of “political blackmail, economic pressure, and brute force,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov mounted the podium of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday to accuse Western States of seeking to retain their self-proclaimed status as ‘world leaders.’
‘Not in my backyard’ attitude will not resolve crises – Greek Prime Minister
Sep 29, 2018, at 07:52 am
New York, Sept 29 (IBNS): Recalling the challenges confronting Greece not so long ago, and the calls at the time from various quarters urging unilateral steps and disengagement with the international community, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras underscored at the United Nations on Friday the importance of collective action and wisdom to overcome complex problems.
Sep 29, 2018, at 07:33 am
New York, Sept 29 (IBNS): At the United Nations General Assembly’s annual debate on Friday, Albanian President, Ilir Meta told world leaders that “we continue to see the UN as a multilateral instrument through which peaceful international order is safeguarded.”
Sep 28, 2018, at 10:34 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): As the United Nations General Assembly’s annual general debate reached its halfway mark on Thursday, one of the world’s longest-running and most intractable crises, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, almost as old as the UN itself, came into stark relief under the same roof with the two sides laying out diametrically opposed positions that have bedeviled peace efforts for over 70 years.
Sep 28, 2018, at 10:29 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): The world cannot ignore or remain silent over the plight of the Rohingya people – driven from their homes in Myanmar and sheltering in Bangladesh – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said on Thursday, urging world leaders for an early and peaceful solution to the massive refugee crisis.
At UN, Himalayan nations, at forefront of climate impact, outline threats to their unique ecosystems
Sep 28, 2018, at 10:23 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): Addressing world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, the Prime Minister of Nepal urged greater international focus on the developing world to ensure they are implement the Sustainable Development Goals, remarking that it is these nations that will be the “battleground on which the 2030 Agenda will be won or lost.”
Sep 28, 2018, at 10:19 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): Rules-based international order is under “great strain,” Donald Tusk, President of the European Council of the European Union (EU), told the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, saying that his organization is “fighting intensely” to preserve it.
Sep 28, 2018, at 10:16 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): With collective will, compassion and humanity, world leaders gathered at the United Nations General Assembly Hall have what it takes to deal with complex and worsening global challenges, the Indonesian Vice-President declared on Thursday.
At UN, Jamaica urges partnerships to tackle climate impacts, economic fragility in small islands
Sep 28, 2018, at 09:34 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): Galvanizing an effective global fundraising campaign to address climate change and achieve sustainable economic growth is key for small island developing States, Andrew Holness, Prime Minister of Jamaica, told world leaders at the seventy-third United Nations General Assembly on Thursday.
New Zealand Prime Minister calls any breakdown of multilateralism ‘catastrophic’
Sep 28, 2018, at 09:07 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): The collapse of multilateralism would be “catastrophic,” Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand, said on Thursday in her first speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
President of former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia denounces move to change country’s name
Sep 28, 2018, at 09:02 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): Reminding the General Assembly on Thursday that Macedonia had been a co-founder of the United Nations, Gjorge Ivanov, President of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, strongly rejected a referendum on changing the name of his country, calling it “a flagrant violation” of sovereignty.
Sierra Leone’s President ‘optimistic’ about country’s new direction as key reforms enacted
Sep 28, 2018, at 08:49 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): On Thursday, the newly-elected President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, told the United Nations, that “with a strong belief in a shared vision and a common destiny, Sierra Leoneans stand with the [international community] in meeting the world’s challenges.”
World leaders commit to continue UN fight against sexual exploitation and abuse
Sep 28, 2018, at 08:44 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): World leaders joined with United Nations entities on Thursday to reaffirm their continued personal commitment to support efforts to combat sexual exploitation and abuse across the Organization.
Sep 28, 2018, at 08:41 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): Haitian President Jovenel Moïse on Thursday called on the international community to provide the necessary development aid as the Caribbean island nation prepares for the transition nest year of the United Nations mission to a non-peacekeeping presence in the country.
Cyprus President urges collective leadership to address ‘root causes’ of world’s crises
Sep 28, 2018, at 08:35 am
New York, Sept 28 (IBNS): “Blatant violations of international law” were foremost on the mind of Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus, as he brought the issue to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, urging States to readjust their policies in “hope for a better future.”
NAFTA: Turned down a meeting with Canada PM Trudeau, says Trump
Sep 27, 2018, at 07:51 pm
New York, Sept 27 (IBNS): US President Donald Trump has said he turned down a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), media reports said.
On day two of UN General Assembly’s annual debate, it’s multilateralism all the way
Sep 27, 2018, at 02:10 pm
New York, Sept 27 (IBNS): From trade to climate change to development and fighting diseases, world leaders mounted the podium of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to deliver a ringing endorsement of multilateralism, singling out a strengthened UN as the prime tool for improving humanity’s lot.
UK’s May stresses global cooperation at UN General Assembly
Sep 27, 2018, at 01:43 pm
New York, Sept 27 (IBNS): United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May warned world leaders at the United Nations on Wednesday that only global cooperation can tackle global challenges such as climate change and unequal economic growth, avoiding the pitfalls of totalitarianism, war, and intolerance that marked the last century.
In UN address, Ukraine President denounces Russia's ‘aggressive expansionist policies’
Sep 27, 2018, at 01:40 pm
New York, Sept 27 (IBNS): Devoting most of his speech before the United Nations General Assembly to castigating Russia for what he said was its “2014 annexation of Crimea” and backing separatists fighting in the Ukraine’s east, Petro Poroshenko, President of Ukraine, said that only international action will stop Moscow’s “aggressive expansionist policies.”
Sep 27, 2018, at 08:22 am
New York, Sept 27 (IBNS): Empathy, equality, and efficiency should be the hallmarks of the work of the United Nations, Kersti Kaljulaid, the President of Estonia, told the General Assembly today as she set out her country’s vision for addressing global challenges such as migration, climate change and the shrinking space for free trade.
At UN Security Council, world leaders debate Iran, North Korea sanctions and non-proliferation
Sep 27, 2018, at 08:20 am
New York, Sept 27 (IBNS): President Donald Trump told the United Nations Security Council on Wednesday that the United States would impose sanctions on Iran that would be “tougher than ever before” in the coming months, following its unilateral withdrawal earlier this year from the deal brokered to restrict Iran’s nuclear programme, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Shun unilateral action, embrace multilateralism, Namibian President urges at UN Assembly
Sep 27, 2018, at 08:14 am
New York, Sept 27 (IBNS): Warning that the world seems to be drifting away from dialogue and towards unilateral action – at great peril to very fundamental tenets of democracy – the President of Namibia called on world leaders, gathered at the United Nations General Assembly, to embrace multilateralism.