Recent Current Affairs related to UN

International Day for South-South Cooperation

Day - September 11

Theme 2026 - “Solidarity Rising: Global Alliance for Inclusive and Innovative Development”

Observed by - UN

Observed since - 2004

Commemorating - The adoption of the Buenos Aires Plan of Action (BAPA) in 1978

The United Nations has adopted the “Correct the Map” resolution with 164 votes to promote a more accurate global representation. The resolution, sponsored by Togo and backed by the African Union, advocates for the use of the “Equal Earth” projection as a replacement for the 16th-century “Mercator map”.

It is to be noted that the Mercator map distorts the relative size of landmasses. For instance, the true size of Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland, which is often misrepresented in older projections.

International Day of Charity

Day - September 5

Observed by - UN

Observed since - 2013

Commemorating - Death anniversary of Mother Teresa

The Government of India (GoI), through its Permanent Mission to the United Nations (UN), has donated 5 peacocks to the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The peacocks were officially handed over to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of UNOG. This initiative revives a historic tradition associated with Ariana Park and UN heritage.

International Moon Day

Day – July 20

Observed by – UN

Observed since – 2022

Commemorating – First human landing on the Moon (Apollo 11 mission) by Neil Armstrong in 1969

The United Nations (UN) has released the Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI, which is the first UN-commissioned scientific assessment of AI. The report was prepared by a 40-member panel co-chaired by Turing Award laureate Yoshua Bengio and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa.

The assessment highlights a global AI imbalance, noting that the USA leads with 75% of global compute capacity and 59 AI models.

Union Minister S Jaishankar has launched India's campaign for election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for the 2028-29 term at the UN Headquarters in New York. The campaign is themed "SHANTI: Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust and Integrity".

It is to be noted that the UNSC comprises 15 members, including five permanent members with veto power (China, France, Russia, UK, and USA) and 10 non-permanent members. India has served as a non-permanent member of the UNSC eight times.

World Youth Skills Day

Day - 15 July

Theme 2026 - "Skills for a Shared Future"

Observed since - 2015

International Day of Cooperatives

Day - 1st Saturday of July (July 4 in 2026)

Theme 2026 - 'Cooperatives for a Peaceful World'

Observed since - 1923

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a UN-backed agency, has launched the 'AI for Good Global Commission' in Geneva, Switzerland, to strengthen global AI governance, inclusion, and innovation frameworks.

The commission comprises 44 founding members and is co-chaired by Rwanda President Paul Kagame and Salesforce Chair and CEO Marc Benioff. India is represented on the commission by 3 founding members: Mukesh Ambani (CMD of Reliance Industries), Sunil Bharti Mittal (Founder and Chairman of Bharti Enterprises Ltd), and Lakshmi N Mittal (Executive Chairman of ArcelorMittal SA).

International Day of Women in Diplomacy

Day – June 24

Theme 2026 – "Diplomacy for All"

Observed since – 2023

International Day of Yoga

Day: June 21

Theme 2026: 'Yoga for Healthy Ageing'

Observed by: Ministry of AYUSH

Observed since: 2015

The Indian Army is participating in the 23rd edition of the multilateral joint military exercise 'KHAAN QUEST' 2026, hosted by Mongolia at the Five Hills Training Area in Ulaanbaatar.

The Indian contingent consists of 40 members, including troops from the JAT Regiment and other Arms & Services. The exercise involves personnel from 18 participating countries.

Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol of Thailand, a lawyer and diplomat, passed away at the age of 47. She was the eldest child of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

World Oceans Day:

Day – 8 June

Theme 2026 – “Reimagine: Beyond the world we know, a new relationship with our ocean”

Observed since – 2009

World Bicycle Day:

Day – June 3

Theme 2026 – “Cycling for a Greener Future“

Observed since – 2018

Initiated by – Leszek J Sibilski, a Polish-American social scientist

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has elected Austria, Kyrgyzstan, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago (T&T), and Zimbabwe as non-permanent members of the 15-member United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a 2-year term (2027-2028). This marks the first-ever term for Kyrgyzstan in the UNSC.

The new members will replace the outgoing members Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia, whose terms end in 2026. They will join the existing non-permanent members Colombia, Bahrain, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Latvia, and Liberia, who will serve until 2027.

Khalilur Rahman, the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, has been elected as the President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). He will serve a 1-year term, succeeding Annalena Charlotte Alma Baerbock.

Major Abhilasha Barak, an Indian Army officer, has been conferred the 2025 UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award. She served as the Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point within the Indian Battalion under the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

She is the third Indian peacekeeper to receive this global award, after Major Suman Gawani (2019) and Major Radhika Sen (2023). It is to be noted that She is the first woman combat helicopter pilot in the history of the Indian Army.

International Day of UN Peacekeepers:

Day – May 29

Theme 2026 – “Invest in Peace”

Observed since – 2003

Commemorating – The 78th anniversary of UN Peacekeeping, which began in 1948 with the deployment of military observers to the Middle East under the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).