UN chief calls for de-escalation of India-China border tensions

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for de-escalating the India-China border tensions after reports of army clashes in Arunachal Pradesh.

His spokesperson Stephane Guterres said: “We call for de-escalation to ensure that the tensions along the border in that area do not grow.”

India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that on Friday a physical scuffle took place between the armies of the two countries in the Yangtse area of the Tawang sector in Arunachal Pradesh.

Both sides suffered minor injuries and Indian troops turned back China’s incursion, he said.

The two nations’ troops commanders in the region met on Sunday and the matter has also been taken up with China through diplomatic channels, he said.

UN General Assembly Session: Biden to present plan on Security Council Expansion

At next week’s high-level UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, US President Joe Biden will present a ideas for moving forward the Security Council reform process that includes expanding it, according to Washington’s Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield.

Giving a basic outline of US plans for “moving the needle forward” on reforms, she said on Friday that “the President will present a bit more on this in his speech”.

“We will advance efforts to reform the UN Security Council that includes forging consensus around sensible and credible proposals to expand Security Council membership,” Thomas-Greenfield, who is a member of Biden’s cabinet, said while briefing reporters about the country’s priorities for the Assembly session, which will draw leaders from several countries.

“We will be having discussions with our P3 colleagues as well as others on the way forward,” she said using the acronym “P3” for the three Western permanent members, the US, Britain and France.

Biden

President Joe Biden.(photo:Instagram)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken “will also be engaging this week on the commitments we’ve made and how we see the process moving forward”, she said.

“And we will have further discussions with other member states on how we can just move the needle on this so that we can make some progress on UN reform and Security Council reform.”

Thomas-Greenfield confirmed that Biden would address the Assembly on September 21, a break with the tradition of the US President as the second speaker after Brazil at the opening of the annual high-level session known as the General Debate that starts on September 20.

This is because Biden is scheduled to be in London on Monday for Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is staying away from the UN meeting this year, as are Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia, who all met this week in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, at the 22nd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit.

French President Emmanuel Macron will be in New York at the UN meeting and UK Prime Minister Liz Truss will make her debut there on the world stage following her election last week.

While the US, along with Britain and France, supports India getting a permanent seat on the Council, Washington’s agenda for reforms is broader.

Thomas-Greenfield laid out what she said were six new principles for the Council, one of which is expanding its membership.

Another relates to Russia blocking the Council from acting on its invasion of Ukraine and its fallout by using its veto power.

“Bilateral disputes must never be an excuse for obstructing the Council’s mandate or forgoing one’s responsibilities,” she said.

She proposed drastically cutting down the use of vetoes, tagging on the assurance that “we will refrain from the use of the veto except in rare, extraordinary circumstances”.

She pointed out that since 2009, Russia has cast 26 vetoes, in 12 of which China joined it, while the US had only used it only four times during that period.A

Another principle Thomas-Greenfield proposed was bringing transparency to the Council while enhancing cooperation.

“Council members should engage frequently and substantively with the General Assembly and other UN bodies and UN member states”, she said.

“These principles are the start of a dialogue, one that President Biden, Secretary Blinken, and myself and so many others will pick up and take into our conversations during High-Level Week and in the weeks ahead.

“Our hope is to rally the world behind the Charter that we all committed to 77 years ago in San Francisco, and together, we will work to shape and reform it and the system it has created for the future,” she said.

Her adding the key qualifiers “sensible and credible” to the Council expansion proposal opens it to several suggestions.

The ideas for reform that have been proposed by several countries and groups include adding permanent members with veto power or without it (which India is amenable to); instead only giving extended terms beyond the current two years to some elected members, and expanding only non-permanent membership under present terms.

The other issue is which countries get the permanent memberships.

It is a touchy matter for the US which is uneasy about certain countries from the African or Arab block getting permanent seats just as China and Russia are leery about the possible elevation of some countries.

President to launch TB Mukt Bharat initiative, target 2025

President Droupadi Murmu will virtually launch the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan on Friday to reinvigorate the mission of TB elimination from the country by 2025.

Following the government’s initiative to end Tuberculosis or TB in the country five years ahead of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) target of 2030 by the United Nations, the Abhiyaan will be launched in presence of Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare and other officials.

The virtual event will be attended by representatives from State and district health administration, corporates, industries, civil society and NGOs as the country reiterates the commitment towards TB elimination by 2025.

The TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan has been envisioned to bring together all community stakeholders to support those on TB treatment and accelerate the country’s progress towards TB elimination.

The President will also launch the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative which forms a vital component of the Abhiyaan. The Ni-kshay Mitra  portal provides a platform for donors to provide various forms of support to those undergoing TB treatment. The three pronged support includes nutritional, additional diagnostic, and vocational support.

The launch event aims to highlight the need for a societal approach that brings together people from all backgrounds to achieve the ambitious target of eliminating TB from the country by 2025, ahead of the SDG targets set by the UN.

SDG target to eliminate TB

Tuberculosis is an infectious bacterial disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which most commonly affects the lungs. In June 2022, WHO’s Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus held a dialogue with WHO’s Civil Society Task Force on Tuberculosis (CSTF-TB) sought to support the rapid adoption of WHO guidelines at country level.

It has called upon nations to increase access to the best evidence-based interventions for people and communities affected by TB, including prevention, detection and treatment of people with TB and related comorbidities, with the involvement of civil society and affected communities.

10 Years of Ban ki Moon as UN Chief: Receives France Civilian Award

As United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demits office, it is time to recollect his accomplishments with some historic achievements uch as adoption of the historic Paris Agreement on climate change in December 2015 and setting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Speaking to the press in Paris, Mr. Ban thanked France for its support for the UN in combating violent extremism and expressed his condolences to the victims and their families of such violence. He also noted France’s support to the UN in its work in the Central African Republic, Mali and the Middle East, particularly Syria.

He further noted that while France draws down its military operation – Operation Sangaris – in the Central African Republic, it was welcoming that France’s continued to take interest in the situation in the African country and called for an open and genuine dialogue to resolve the tensions there.

Mr. Ban also welcomed the commitment of France to the situation in the Middle East and in particular to hold an international conference on the issue.

The UN chief further emphasized that the international community’s support in Lebanon is equally important, particularly given the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Concluding his remarks, Mr. Ban expressed confidence that the Government and people of France would continue to support his successor, António Guterres, who assumes office at the start of next year, and the UN in its mission in building a better world for all.

On Friday, Secretary-General Ban was presented the insignia of the Grand Officier de la Légion d’honneur(the Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour) by the President François Hollande of France.

Receiving the honour, Mr. Ban said that it was the UN that was being honoured and expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Organization.

Created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the Légion d’honneur (Legion of Honour) is the highest French award. For two centuries, it has been presented, in the name of the French Head of State, to acknowledge the contribution of an individual in all fields.