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ISLAMABAD: Last week, a state government in southern India quietly lifted a ban that had spent four years doing what its architects intended: keeping Muslim girls out of school. The ban was on the hijab. It was imposed in 2022 in Karnataka, a state of 67 million people, by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP is India&#39;s governing Hindu nationalist party, in power nationally since 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It lost Karnataka in 2023 state elections. The party that replaced it, the Indian National Congress, revoked the ban on May 13. Schools may now permit headscarves, Sikh turbans, and Hindu sacred threads alongside uniforms, as reported by The Hindu. The mechanics of the original ban reveal how deliberately it was constructed. In late 2021, Muslim women students at a government college were suddenly barred from classrooms for wearing headscarves. The practice had been accepted for years without incident, per the IIUM Law Journal. Groups of Hindu nationalist students then showed up in saffron-colored scarves. Saffron is the symbolic color of BJP-aligned nationalism in India. The government did not act against those students, it acted against the Muslim girls. The order it issued described the headscarf as a threat to &quot;equality and public order,&quot; as reported by Muslim News UK. Legal scholars writing in the International Journal of Law in Context called it what it was: indirect discrimination, dressed in the language of neutral policy. The girls paid the price. Many were turned away from national board examinations. Many lost full academic years. The People&#39;s Union for Civil Liberties, an Indian civil rights organization, documented the damage in detail. Then came February 10, 2022, and a moment that traveled around the world. A 19-year-old student named Muskan Khan arrived at her college to submit an assignment. A crowd of men in saffron scarves surrounded her. They followed her across campus, chanting political slogans. She did not run. She turned and chanted back, alone, until staff pulled her to safety, per the Times of India. CNN called her &quot;a symbol of resistance.&quot; Within days, fabricated social media posts were circulating that falsely linked her to the Taliban, according to fact-checkers at The Quint. The message to Muslim women was clear: visibility itself is a provocation. That message has been delivered consistently. Amnesty International documented the headscarf ban as one piece of a larger campaign against India&#39;s roughly 200 million Muslims under BJP governance, alongside the demolition of Muslim-owned homes, laws criminalizing marriages between Muslims and Hindus, and organized boycotts of Muslim market traders, per Amnesty&#39;s Human Rights Charter for India. United Nations human rights experts formally warned India in June 2022 that the ban violated its obligations under international law, per an OHCHR communication. India&#39;s Supreme Court took up the case and split without a resolution in October 2022, per MUNA Bulletin. The constitutional question remains open. The Congress party reversed the ban. It also banned saffron scarves from classrooms, calling them tools of intimidation rather than religious expression, per the Times of India. The BJP called this &ldquo;Muslim appeasement&rdquo;. A federal minister claimed, without evidence, that the decision would lead to &lsquo;Islamic law&rsquo; in Karnataka, as reported by Hindustan Times. Human Rights Watch had already described BJP policies of this kind as systematic discrimination against religious minorities, in a formal submission to the United Nations. The headscarf ban is over in Karnataka. The political infrastructure that built it remains intact nationally. For Muslim women in India, the battleground may have shifted, but it certainly has not disappeared.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and religious activists protest near the Deputy High Commission of Bangladesh office in Kolkata on December 22, 2025  (AFP)

India

India's Hindu nationalist government has spent years using Muslim women's clothing, marriages, and livelihoods as instruments of political exclusion, drawing repeated condemnation from the United Nations and global rights organizations.

Indian Congress overturns discriminatory hijab ban imposed by Modi-led BJP previously

KABUL: The United Nations expressed &quot;serious concern&quot; on Thursday over the detention of at least three Afghan journalists, arrested last week by Taliban security agencies on unknown charges. The UN&#39;s Afghanistan mission UNAMA also criticized &quot;assaults against journalists and confiscation of property during search operations&quot; by the authorities. &quot;UNAMA calls for clarification of the legal basis and any charges against the detained journalists,&quot; it said in a statement. TOLOnews said in a post on X on Sunday that two of its journalists, Imran Danish and Mansoor Niazi, had been detained in the Afghan capital. &quot;Security officials, in talks with TOLOnews, have said that details on this matter will be shared after the relevant legal procedures,&quot; it said. At least one other journalist was also arrested, according to UNAMA, but the Taliban regime did not respond to an AFP request for comment on Thursday. The information and culture ministry said on Tuesday that &quot;a few days ago, two TOLOnews journalists were arrested by security agencies&quot;. &quot;Their case is under investigation. The court has not ruled yet,&quot; ministry spokesman Khubaib Ghofran said in a statement, without specifying the reasons for their arrest. Advocacy group the Committee to Protect Journalists, in a post on X on Tuesday, called on Afghanistan&#39;s Taliban authorities to &quot;immediately and unconditionally release the detained journalists and ensure the press can operate without interference&quot;. The Afghanistan Media Support Organization, a local watchdog, expressed &quot;deep concerns&quot; over the arrests in a statement issued on Sunday. It deplored the lack of &quot;precise information... regarding the reasons for their arrests or their whereabouts&quot;. According to the Afghan watchdog, six other journalists are currently detained by the Taliban authorities. &quot;A free, independent, and safe press is essential for transparency, accountability, and the well-being of Afghan society,&quot; UNAMA said. Afghanistan ranks 175 out of 180 on the Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index.

Afghanistan

United Nations express "serious concern" over the detention of at least three Afghan journalists, arrested last week by Taliban security agencies on unknown charges

UN voices 'serious concern' over detention of Afghan journalists

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has warned that hunger and food insecurity are worsening across Afghanistan, with women and children bearing the brunt of the country&rsquo;s deepening humanitarian crisis. The UN World Food Program (WFP) said in its report that Afghanistan continues to face overlapping challenges, including economic collapse, high unemployment and climate-related shocks that have destroyed livelihoods and left millions struggling to afford basic necessities. Rising regional tensions have also contributed to higher food prices, adding pressure on already vulnerable households. &ldquo;The little food we can afford we give to our children, but that is not enough,&rdquo; said Raqiba Ahmadi, a resident of Faizabad in northeastern Badakhshan province. She said her youngest daughter is recovering from malnutrition while her husband remains unemployed. Vulnerable sections of the population are in severe danger of malnutrition in the country due to a shortage of resources and a sudden surge in prices of staple foods. The WFP said persistent funding shortages have significantly reduced supplies of specialized nutritional food used to treat malnourished women and children. The agency warned that without additional financial support, millions of Afghans will remain at risk of severe hunger and acute malnutrition. The organization said it needed urgent funding to support millions amid a surging hunger crisis in Afghanistan.

Malnutrition in Afghanistan - (File Photo: UNICEF)

The UN warns that worsening hunger in Afghanistan is pushing millions, especially women and children, toward severe food insecurity and acute malnutrition.

Afghanistan hunger crisis worsens; women, children hardest hit, says UN

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Monday met with the US Charg&eacute; d&rsquo;Affaires Natalie Baker in Islamabad to discuss the evolving regional situation. During the meeting, the two sides discussed broader bilateral ties between Pakistan and the United States, according to a statement from the foreign office. FM Dar expressed hope that the &ldquo;ongoing diplomatic efforts would contribute to peace and stability&rdquo; in the region, which has been impacted by the US-Israel war on Iran. The foreign minister also appreciated Washington&rsquo;s assistance in the &ldquo;repatriation of Pakistani and Iranian seafarers through Singapore,&rdquo; said the statement. Later the same day, Dar also spoke with the Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the regional situation and matters of mutual interest. The Saudi Foreign Minister appreciated Pakistan&rsquo;s constructive role and reiterated support for Islamabad&rsquo;s efforts aimed at promoting regional peace and stability. &ldquo;Both leaders also exchanged views on the importance of safeguarding maritime security, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and agreed to remain in close contact on regional and international developments,&rdquo; the statement added. Pakistan continues to facilitate and mediate diplomatic efforts between US and Iran as which stands on a ceasefire at the request of Islamabad. UN envoy meets Pakistan FM in Islamabad Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary-General&rsquo;s Special Envoy for the Middle East Conflict, Jean Arnault, called on Pakistan&rsquo;s foreign minister. In a statement on X (Twitter), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Arnault commended Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region. He reiterated continued United Nations support for such engagement. <div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-2" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 672px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-2&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2053848103925821598&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F5818%2F&sessionId=4ec4793f203495461cdeb832f47a76ae2165f7b3&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2053848103925821598"></iframe></div></div> The two leaders also exchanged views on recent regional developments. Dar outlined Pakistan&rsquo;s ongoing contacts with relevant parties and expressed appreciation for the UN secretary-general&rsquo;s support and contributions over the years.

Foreign Affairs

Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker discuss regional tensions, bilateral ties, and diplomatic efforts linked to the Iran ceasefire.

FM Dar expresses hope for a ‘peaceful and stable’ region

ISLAMABAD: United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, called Thursday for continued international efforts to recognize what he described as &ldquo;gender apartheid&rdquo; under Taliban rule, warning that sweeping restrictions on women and girls require sustained global attention. He made the remarks during a parliamentary conference on Afghanistan at the French National Assembly in Paris, according to Afghanistan International.&nbsp; Speaking to lawmakers, rights advocates and former Afghan officials, Bennett said the human rights situation in Afghanistan remains deeply troubling, particularly for women and girls facing severe limitations on education, employment and public life. &ldquo;Alongside realism about the situation, we must maintain hope for the people of Afghanistan,&rdquo; Bennett said, emphasizing the need for continued international engagement and support for Afghan citizens. Bennett also highlighted the role of the Afghan diaspora, saying communities abroad could help sustain hope and contribute to the country&rsquo;s future direction. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education for girls, limits on employment and constraints on movement without a male guardian. Rights groups and UN officials have repeatedly condemned the policies as violations of fundamental human rights. The conference in Paris focused on Afghanistan&rsquo;s humanitarian and political situation, with participants discussing international responses to the country&rsquo;s ongoing crisis.

Burkha clad woman begs by the side of the road in Afghanistan (File Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett urges international community to recognize 'gender apartheid' in Afghanistan and maintain support for Afghan women facing severe Taliban restrictions.

UN rapporteur urges recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: At least four journalists and media workers are currently being held in Taliban prisons in Afghanistan, a United Nations expert said Sunday, calling for their immediate release. According to Hasht e Subh Daily, Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council&rsquo;s special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, said the detentions highlight ongoing concerns about press freedom under Taliban rule. &ldquo;I call for their release as well as the release of all individuals who have been arbitrarily detained in Afghanistan,&rdquo; Bennett said in a statement. Marking World Press Freedom Day, Bennett said there is no better time to free detained journalists, stressing the importance of an independent media in the country. His remarks come amid growing concerns about the conditions facing Afghan journalists. Earlier, Richard Lindsay the United Kingdom Special Representative for Afghanistan, said reporters in Afghanistan continue to work under increasingly difficult circumstances. Bennett also noted that Afghan media outlets are struggling with financial challenges and declining international support, in addition to operating under strict political and security restrictions. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed sweeping limitations on the media, drawing widespread criticism from rights groups and international observers.

Richard Bennett, speaks at a special event on human rights at the United Nations.

Richard Bennett urges Taliban to free at least four detained journalists, citing worsening press freedom conditions in Afghanistan. 

Richard Bennett says 4 journalists held by Taliban

NEW YORK:&nbsp;Signatories of the landmark nuclear non-proliferation treaty began a meeting Monday at the United Nations as fears of a renewed arms race escalate, with atomic powers again at loggerheads over safeguards. In 2022, during the last review of the treaty considered the cornerstone of non-proliferation, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned humanity was &quot;one misunderstanding, one miscalculation away from nuclear annihilation.&quot; On Monday, he warned &quot;the drivers&quot; of nuclear weapons proliferation were accelerating. &quot;For too long, the treaty has been eroding. Commitments remain unfulfilled. Trust and credibility are wearing thin. The drivers of proliferation are accelerating. We need to breathe life into the treaty once more,&quot; Guterres said in opening remarks. With global geopolitical friction only heightened since the last meeting, it was unclear what the gathering at UN headquarters could achieve. France&#39;s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told signatories that &quot;never has the risk of nuclear proliferation been so high, and the threat posed by Iran&#39;s and North Korea&#39;s programs is intolerable for each and every state party to this treaty.&quot; Tempering expectations, Do Hung Viet, Vietnam&#39;s UN ambassador and president of the conference, said &quot;we should not expect this conference to resolve the underlying strategic tensions of our time.&quot; &quot;But a balanced outcome that reaffirms core commitments and set out practical steps forward would strengthen the integrity of the NPT,&quot; he said. &quot;The success or failure of this conference will have implications way beyond these halls,&quot; Viet added. &quot;The prospects of a new nuclear arms race are looming over us.&quot; The nine nuclear-armed states &mdash; Russia, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and North Korea &mdash; possessed 12,241 nuclear warheads in January 2025, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported. The US and Russia hold nearly 90% of nuclear weapons globally and have carried out major programs to modernize them in recent years, according to SIPRI. China has also rapidly increased its nuclear stockpile, SIPRI said, with the G7 raising the alarm Friday over Moscow and Beijing boosting their nuclear capabilities. US President Donald Trump has indicated his intention to conduct new nuclear tests, accusing others of doing so clandestinely. In March, French President Emmanuel Macron announced a dramatic shift in nuclear deterrence, notably an increase in the atomic arsenal, currently numbering 290 warheads. International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi, just returned from 40th anniversary events at Chernobyl to mark the nuclear disaster there, said &quot;there is a growing perception that perhaps having nuclear weapons could be good for national security.&quot; &quot;Nothing is further from the truth,&quot; he said. &#39;Affront&#39; to NPT&nbsp;&quot;It is obvious that trust is eroding, both inside and outside the NPT,&quot; Seth Shelden of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, told AFP. He questioned the likely outcome of the four-week summit. Decisions on the NPT require agreement by consensus, with the previous two conferences failing to adopt final political declarations. In 2015, the deadlock was largely due to opposition by Israel&#39;s arch-ally Washington to creation of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East. A 2022 impasse was due mainly to Russian opposition to references to Ukraine&#39;s nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhia, occupied by Moscow. This year&#39;s summit could hit any number of stumbling blocks. The ongoing war in Ukraine, Iran&#39;s nuclear program and the war there, proliferation fears, and Pyongyang&#39;s developing arsenal could all be deal-breakers. The United States, along with its allies Britain, the UAE, and Australia, spoke out at Iran&#39;s appointment as a conference vice president. Washington&#39;s meeting envoy said conferring a leadership role on Tehran was an &quot;affront&quot; to countries that take the NPT &quot;seriously.&quot; Artificial intelligence could be a prominent issue as some countries call for all sides to keep human control over nuclear weapons.

Americas

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned Monday that "the drivers" of nuclear weapons proliferation were accelerating as he opened a crunch meeting of signatories to the landmark non-proliferation treaty

'Looming' risk of nuclear arms race, UN proliferation meeting hears

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s permanent representative to the UN, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, urged stronger cooperation between the United Nations and the European Union in a statement at a UN Security Council meeting on the EU&#39;s partnership with the UN, saying deeper collaboration had become strategically vital at a time of mounting global instability. According to the ambassador&rsquo;s statement released by Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Mission to the United Nations, he said the widening geopolitical divide was putting growing strain on multilateralism and pushing the rules-based international order towards a dangerous tipping point. The ambassador said Pakistan valued the EU&rsquo;s longstanding support for multilateralism, international law and the UN Charter, and welcomed its continued commitment to working with the UN as the central pillar of international cooperation. The statement said the ambassador warned that strategic competition was increasingly replacing cooperation at a time when the world most needed collective action to bridge development gaps and promote shared prosperity. In that context, he said cooperation between the UN and regional and sub-regional organisations under Chapter VIII of the UN Charter should be treated as a strategic necessity.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2043868463551397947&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Flogin%2F&sessionId=695618f6f280be58ce22ef01cddd46d57957413f&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 648px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;"></iframe></div></div>Referring to the role of regional bodies, the ambassador said organisations such as the EU were important partners in advancing peace and security, sustainable development and human rights. He also recalled Security Council Resolution 2788, adopted during Pakistan&rsquo;s presidency of the Council last July, which recognised the contribution of regional and sub-regional organisations in complementing UN efforts to prevent conflict and encourage peaceful dispute resolution, according to the statement. The statement said Ahmed pointed to ongoing conflicts in West Asia, Europe and the Middle East as evidence that crises no longer remain confined to their immediate geographic areas. He said Pakistan&rsquo;s position remained anchored in the UN Charter and in support for dialogue, de-escalation and peaceful settlement of disputes. The ambassador also expressed appreciation for EU backing for Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts towards a peaceful outcome in West Asia. On Palestine, the ambassador said the EU remained a significant diplomatic and humanitarian actor and acknowledged its support for a just and lasting two-state solution in line with international law and relevant UN resolutions, the statement said. He added that the bloc could play a greater role in efforts to ease Palestinian suffering and advance Palestinian rights, including self-determination and statehood. The statement said the ambassador also voiced hope for a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Ukraine and highlighted a range of global challenges disproportionately affecting the Global South, including food insecurity, freshwater scarcity, energy volatility, supply chain disruption, pandemics, climate change and natural disasters. He further praised EU support for the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, humanitarian assistance and reform of the international financial system, while also commending EU-UN cooperation in peacekeeping and peacebuilding, according to the statement. Highlighting bilateral ties, Ahmad said the EU was Pakistan&rsquo;s largest trade and investment partner and described the GSP Plus framework as a mutually beneficial model that had supported growth in Pakistan-EU trade, the statement added.

Pakistan’s UN ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad urged stronger UN-EU cooperation at the Security Council, saying global instability, conflict and development challenges require deeper multilateral partnership, while also highlighting Palestine, Ukraine, peacebuilding and Pakistan’s growing economic ties with the bloc.

Pakistan calls for deeper UN-EU partnership at UNSC

UNITED NATIONS: The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called Thursday for the UN Security Council to authorize the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks. Iran has placed a stranglehold on the key shipping lane -- threatening fuel supplies and buckling the global economy -- in retaliation to US-Israeli strikes that triggered the month-old Middle East war. &quot;Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, prevented commercial vessels and oil tankers from transiting, and imposed conditions on some to pass through the Strait,&quot; said Jassem al-Budaiwi, head of the GCC. He spoke in New York at the first Security Council meeting on cooperation with the GCC, which comprises Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Oman. &quot;We call upon the Security Council to assume its full responsibility and take all necessary measures to protect maritime routes and ensure the safe continuation of international navigation,&quot; al-Budaiwi said. Bahrain has proposed a draft resolution that would greenlight states to use &quot;all necessary measures&quot; to assure free transit through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the measure has divided the 15-member Security Council. According to diplomatic sources, Russia, China and France -- who each hold veto privileges -- have voiced strong objections despite several modifications to the text. &quot;We want a Security Council decision that addresses the situation comprehensively with the root causes, and not one-sided and unbalanced,&quot; Anna Evstigneeva, deputy representative of Iran-allied Russia, said Wednesday. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that a military operation to free the Strait is &quot;unrealistic.&quot; A fifth version of the draft text was distributed to member states on Thursday. Around a fifth of the world&#39;s oil and liquefied natural gas passes through the Strait of Hormuz in peacetime. Its near-total closure is impacting global supplies of important commodities, including oil, liquid natural gas, and fertilizer. That has led to a sharp rise in energy prices.

Middle East

The secretary-general of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) called for the UN Security Council to authorize the use of force to protect the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks

Gulf states seek UN mandate for force to protect Hormuz

UNITED NATIONS: Countries that ratified a landmark treaty to protect the high seas on Monday set January 2027 as the proposed date for their first summit, known as a conference of the parties. After years of delays, the treaty was ratified in September by 60 countries. The law aims to protect biodiverse areas in international waters, beyond countries&rsquo; exclusive economic zones. Belizean diplomat Janine Coye-Felson, co-chair of the committee working on implementing the treaty, said the group would recommend &ldquo;that the first meeting of the COP be convened from 11 to 22nd January 2027 at UN Headquarters&rdquo; in New York city. The preparatory committee is holding its final meeting in New York to lay the groundwork for January&rsquo;s summit, where operating rules and the location of a new secretariat must be decided. The treaty, adopted in June 2023, aims to counter the myriad threats facing the world&rsquo;s high seas, including climate change, pollution and overfishing. Teeming with life, the oceans are responsible for creating half of the globe&rsquo;s oxygen supply and are vital to combatting global warming because they absorb significant amounts of the CO2 emitted by human activities, conservationists say. The high seas begin where a country&rsquo;s exclusive economic zone ends &mdash; up to 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) from the coast &mdash; and fall outside the jurisdiction of any single nation. Although they cover nearly half the planet, the high seas have been long overlooked in the fight to preserve the environment. Today only about one percent of the high seas is subject to conservation measures. In 2022 at the COP15 biodiversity conference, the world&rsquo;s nations committed to protect 30 percent of global lands and oceans by the year 2030.

Belizean diplomat Janine Coye-Felson, co-chair of the committee working on implementing the treaty, said the group would recommend “that the first meeting of the COP be convened from 11 to 22nd January 2027 at UN Headquarters” in New York City.

Articles tagged with "United Nations"