Category United Nations

Many of us know Shashi Tharoor as a leading politician who uses complex English words like floxinoxinihiliphication. Shashi Tharoor had worked with the United Nations for almost thirty years.

Before rising to being an administrator at highest levels, Shashi Tharoor worked as a peacekeeper and a refugee worker. Peacekeeping after the Cold War was one of his major responsibilities. He then served as a senior advisor to the Secretary-General.

In 2001, he was appointed as the Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information under Kofi Annan. Tharoor was nominated by the government of India in the Secretary-General election.

However, he retired from the UN in 2007 after finishing second in the selection of UN Secretary-General. He then returned to India to become a leading figure in Indian politics.

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We all remember some advertisements because celebrities like Sachin Tendulkar or Alia Bhatt featured in them. When a notable person advertises a product, we are more likely to remember it. The UN too makes use of this idea. The UN takes help of many notable people to advocate a specific course and they are known as Goodwill Ambassadors.

UNICEF, the UN wing that works for the upliftment of children around the world has a long list of Goodwill Ambassadors. These ambassadors use their fame to draw the attention of people towards important issues.

So far, there have been five UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors from India-Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Sharmila Tagore, Shahrukh Khan and Hima Das. Hima das, who holds the national record for 400 metres, is the first Youth Ambassador of UNICEF India.

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‘Why is that we have never heard voices in connection with the freedom of people under the suppression and the tyranny of Pakistani authorities on the other side of the cease- fire line?’ asked V K Krishna Menon to everyone gathered at the UN Security Council on 23 January, 1957. This question was part of V K Krishna Menon’s legendary marathon speech.

V K Krishna Menon is noted for delivering the longest speech in the history of the UN. Defending India’s position on Kashmir, Menon spoke for eight hours. He collapsed on to the Security Council floor towards the end of the speech.

With a doctor constantly monitoring his blood pressure, he returned to continue the speech after an hour. He had to be hospitalized and therefore, the speech was completed on the following day.

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When Aniruddha Rajput, a 33-year-old private lawyer from India was nominated for the International Law commission (ILC) election, he didn’t know that he would possibly be the youngest ever member of the ILC. Rajput was already practicing in the Supreme Court of India for six years.

Rajput was involved in the consultations for decisions regarding the amendment of the Indian Arbitrations Act. He was also a part of the drafting committee of the National Sports Development Bill of 2011.

The Ministry of External Affairs nominated him for the ILC elections. He was pursuing his PhD then. He became a member of the International Law Commission (ILC) in 2017.

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India has a permanent representative who will work as the diplomatic representative of our country. Also known as the Ambassador to the UN, he/she is the head of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations.

The Ambassador to the UN is expected to represent the interests of the country in the UN. He/she is a diplomatic official who is accredited to the UN, and works to promote the ideas of the UN and raise public awareness. The Ambassador also represents India in the General Assembly and the Security Council if needed.

Syed Akbaruddin currently serves as the Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations. He was appointed in March, 2016.

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The UN works in India in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Framework (UNSDF). It is a framework that takes into consideration both national priorities and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The UN strives to improve the lives of the most marginalized poor, and vulnerable communities of the country, especially women and girls. As the government of India suggests, ‘Development for All’ is the focus of the UN. The work of the United Nations in India pertains to the following:

• poverty and urbanization
• health, water, and sanitation
• nutrition and food security
• climate change, clean energy, and disaster resilience
• education
• skilling, entrepreneurship, and job creation, and
• gender equality and youth development

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