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The United States, Russia and Britain, who are council veto-powers, abstained from Wednesday's vote on the resolution drafted by Malta. The United States has backed pauses, while Russia has pushed for a ceasefire. The Security Council attempted four times in two weeks in October to act. Russia failed twice to get the minimum votes needed, the United States vetoed a Brazilian-drafted resolution and Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-drafted resolution. It also calls on all parties not to deprive civilians in Gaza of basic services and humanitarian aid needed for their survival, welcomes the initial, limited deliveries of aid, but calls for that to be increased.

Persons: David, Dee, Vassily Nebenzia, Linda Thomas, Greenfield, Barbara Woodward, Thomas, U.N, Michelle Nichols, Paul Grant, Emelia, Grant McCool, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Hamas, United Nations Security Council, REUTERS, UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security, United, U.S, United Nations, Security, Gaza, Thomson Locations: Israel, Palestinian, U.N, New York, U.S, Gaza, United States, Russia, Britain, Malta, China

☆ Britain warns Russia may start targeting civilian ships
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

UNITED NATIONS, July 25 (Reuters) - Britain has information indicating the Russian military may move beyond attacks on Ukrainian grain facilities to target civilian shipping in the Black Sea, Britain's U.N. "We agree with the U.S. assessment that this is a coordinated effort to justify and lay blame on Ukraine for any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea," Woodward told reporters. The White House gave similar warnings last week about possible attacks on civilian ships and sea mines. Russian President Vladimir Putin is due to host African leaders in St. Petersburg this week and has promised free Russian grain "to replace Ukrainian grain." Moscow had complained that not enough Ukrainian grain went to poor countries under the Black Sea export deal.

Persons: U.N, Barbara Woodward, Rishi Sunak, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Woodward, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Michelle Nichols, Rami Ayyub, Christina Fincher Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, British, United Nations, White, . Security, Wednesday, Church, Black, Thomson Locations: Britain, Russia, Ukraine, New York, Moscow, Ukrainian, St . Petersburg, Africa

☆ North Korea to make rare statement at UN Security Council
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

UNITED NATIONS, July 13 (Reuters) - North Korea is set to make a rare statement during a United Nations Security Council meeting on Thursday, which was called over Pyongyang's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). North Korea requested to speak at the meeting of the 15-member body and Great Britain - as council president for July - intends to grant it, said Mungo Woodifield, spokesperson for Britain's U.N. mission in New York. The council meeting was requested by the United States, Albania, France, Japan, Malta and Britain. North Korea - formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) - has been under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear programs since 2006. North Korea on Wednesday tested its latest Hwasong-18 ICBM, state media reported, saying the weapon is the core of its nuclear strike force and as a warning to the United States and other adversaries.

Persons: Mungo Woodifield, Britain's U.N, Michelle Nichols, Mark Porter Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security, Democratic People's, Wednesday, Thomson Locations: North Korea, Great Britain, New York, United States, Albania, France, Japan, Malta, Britain, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, DPRK

☆ EU helping UN, Turkey in bid to extend Black Sea grain deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A Kremlin spokesman later said that Russia had not taken a final decision on whether to exit the grain deal. The European Commission's priority is to ensure that Ukrainian grain can reach the world market and it calls on all parties to extend the Black Sea deal, a European Union spokesperson in Brussels said on Thursday. Russia has threatened to ditch the Black Sea grain deal because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer abroad have not been met. The last ship traveling under the Black Sea agreement is currently loading its cargo at the Ukrainian port of Odesa ahead of the Monday deadline. Britain has also "worked very closely with the City of London to enable a very complex payment system" for Russian grain, Britain's U.N. ambassador, Barbara Woodward, has said.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, SWIFT, Guterres, Putin, Ursula von der Leyen, Putin's, U.N, Barbara Woodward, Woodward, Michelle Nichols, Foo Yun Chee, Angus MacSwan, Leslie Adler Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, European Commission, United, Black, European Union, Russian Agricultural Bank, Reuters, United Nations, Kremlin, JPMorgan Chase &, reassurances, U.S ., The United Nations, African Export, Import Bank, City, Thomson Locations: United Nations, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, Ukrainian, EU, U.N, Moscow, Brussels, Russian, Odesa, Africa, Britain, London

☆ Afghanistan aid donors struggle with crackdown on women, less money
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Last month the Taliban began enforcing the ban on Afghan women working for the U.N. after stopping most women working for aid groups in December. So far the United States has given the most money to the 2023 U.N. appeal: $75 million. When asked if Gulf countries could do more to help Afghanistan, Power said: "That would be one obvious potential set of partners." The United Nations has been trying to carve out exemptions in some areas for women to deliver aid, particularly in health and education. For the year ending April 5, 2024 it has pledged nearly $180 million in aid funding for Afghanistan and Pakistan.

☆ Britain blocks UN webcast of Russian meeting on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

UNITED NATIONS, April 4 (Reuters) - Britain has blocked the U.N. webcast of an informal Security Council meeting on Ukraine on Wednesday at which Russia's commissioner for children's rights - whom the International Criminal Court wants to arrest on war crimes charges - is due to speak. The meeting will focus on "evacuating children from conflict zone" and Russia said on Tuesday that commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova would feature virtually. Such meetings are not held in the Security Council chamber and all 15 council members have to agree to allow it to be webcast by the United Nations. Diplomats have said it is rare for a U.N. webcast to be blocked. However, last month China blocked the U.N. webcast of a U.S.-convened informal Security Council meeting on human rights abuses in North Korea.

☆ Russia trying to get ballistic missiles from Iran, says Britain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

UNITED NATIONS, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Russia is attempting to obtain more weapons from Iran, including hundreds of ballistic missiles, and offering Tehran an unprecedented level of military and technical support in return, Britain's U.N. "Russia is now attempting to obtain more weapons, including hundreds of ballistic missiles," Woodward told reporters. We're concerned that Russia intends to provide Iran with more advanced military components, which will allow Iran to strengthen their weapons capability," she said. Iran has promised to provide Russia with surface-to-surface missiles, in addition to more drones, two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters in October. The United States said on Wednesday that it has seen the continued provision of Iranian drones to Russia, but that Washington had not seen evidence that Iran has transferred ballistic missiles to Russia for use against Ukraine.

☆ U.N. General Assembly calls for Russia to make reparations in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Monday called for Russia to be held accountable for its conduct in Ukraine, voting to approve a resolution recognizing that Russia must be responsible for making reparations to the country. General Assembly resolutions are nonbinding, but they carry political weight. Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.N. Sergiy Kyslytsya told the General Assembly before the vote that Russia has targeted everything from factories to residential buildings and hospitals. Fourteen countries voted against the resolution on Monday, including Russia, China and Iran, while 73 abstained, including Brazil, India and South Africa. In March, 141 members of the General Assembly voted to denounce Russia's invasion, and 143 in October voted to condemn Moscow's attempted annexation of parts of Ukraine.

☆ U.N., standard setter ISO launch net-zero guidelines
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Virginia Furness | Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 11 (Reuters) - The United Nations and standard setter the International Organization for Standardization launched a set of guidelines on Friday to help organisations construct net-zero emissions plans. As regulators increasingly focus on tackling weak corporate environmental claims, and investors call for harmonised global standards, the U.N. and ISO said its work would act as a core reference text on what to include in their net-zero plans. The ISO's guidelines were developed by a group of 1,200 organisations and experts from over 100 countries. While around 80% of global emissions are covered by net-zero pledges, many organisations lack a clear strategy, and the new ISO guidelines are intended to provide a practical guide. "The guidelines support clarity, we don't replace the ISSB but help companies navigate these multiple initiatives," said Emily Faint, net-zero policy manager at Our 2050 World, the group's secretariat.

☆ U.S., allies slam Russia for wasting U.N. Security Council time
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Eduardo MunozUNITED NATIONS, Oct 27 (Reuters) - The United States and allies slammed Russia on Thursday for wasting the time of the U.N. Security Council and spreading conspiracies by again raising its accusation that the United States has "military biological programs" in Ukraine. Russia has previously raised at least twice at the Security Council the issue of biological weapons programs in Ukraine. It has drafted a Security Council resolution to set up a commission, made up of all 15 council members, to investigate its claims. Such a move is possible - but has never been invoked - under the Biological Weapons Convention, which took effect in 1975. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield described Russia's accusations as "pure fabrications brought forth without a shred of evidence."

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