Syed Akbaruddin

The writer retired from the Indian Foreign Service in April as India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations

Authors you can follow

Suanshu Khurana

Mahender Singh Manral

More From Syed Akbaruddin

When Donald Trump held up a mirror to the UN – and the world watched

Donald Trump’s words will haunt a UN unable to end warsSubscriber Only

September 25,2025 07:07:50 AM

At 80, the UN has no right to ceremony without service. Its audit is not about the speeches by 150 leaders, but about whether the UN can keep relief corridors open in war, mobilise resources before disaster, and offer legitimacy where power alone cannot.

Thu, Sep 25, 2025

The Court affirms that states have obligations to prevent environmental harm, reduce emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and cooperate internationally.(Illustration by C R Sasikumar)

The milestone ICJ opinion on climate obligations is not just a verdict from afar, but a compassSubscriber Only

July 29,2025 07:30:12 AM

India must navigate litigation risks, enforcement gaps, and fossil fuel dilemmas; align duty with dignity.

Tue, Jul 29, 2025

Hague ruling on Indus Waters Treaty revives legal debate. But trust cannot flow when terror doesSubscriber Only

July 14,2025 06:30:20 AM

Pakistan must decide whether to treat the Indus system as rivers of peace or allow them to become torrents of tension

Mon, Jul 14, 2025

Iranian flags fly as fire and smoke from an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot rise, following Israeli strikes on Iran, in Tehran. (Reuters)

Targeting nuclear plants in Iran and Ukraine: Playing with fireSubscriber Only

June 19,2025 07:02:55 AM

These actions cross more than red lines — they pose global risks in an age of fragile energy transitions

Thu, Jun 19, 2025

OPERATION SINDOOR, Pahalgam terrorist attack, Pahalgam terrorists, Indian army, india Pakistan ceasefire, Pakistan drone strike, drone strike, Pakistan drone strike reponse, drone strike reponse, Army strikes, Army strikes in Pakistan, Army strikes Pakistan terror sites, Indian army, Army strikes PoK, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Pahalgam attack, Pahalgam terror attack, india pakistan ties, india pakistan tensions, article 370, Indian army, Abrogation of Article 370, terrorism, terrorist attack, Kashmir attack, Jammu and Kashmir terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir, cross-border infiltration, border security, border infiltration, Pahalgam attack, Pahalgam terror attack, Pahalgam terrorist attack, Pahalgam terrorists, Indian army, india pakistan ties, india pakistan tensions, article 370, Indian army, Abrogation of Article 370, terrorism, terrorist attack, Kashmir attack, Jammu and Kashmir terrorist attack, Jammu and Kashmir, cross-border infiltration, border security, border infiltration, Indian express news, current affairs

Syed Akbaruddin writes: India’s outreach to other nations marks a recalibrated diplomacySubscriber Only

May 24,2025 06:58:01 AM

India’s response, Operation Sindoor, along with PM Modi’s May 12 national address, has given India’s counter-terrorism doctrine clarity, coherence, and credibility

Sat, May 24, 2025

How the AIR commentaries shaped public opinion during the Bangladesh War of IndependenceSubscriber Only

August 29,2021 06:20:34 AM

The late former director general UL Baruah’s long-forgotten All India Radio despatches, written 50 years ago, reappears in a new book, 'A Bangladesh War Commentary: 1971 Radio Dispatches: Vol 1'

Sun, Aug 29, 2021

United Nations, Antonio Guterres, Coronavirus pandemic, COVID-19, Syed Akbaruddin writes, Express opinion,

Pandemic accentuates challenges to global order. New framework is needed, India must be rule-shaperSubscriber Only

July 02,2020 00:23:47 AM

Syed Akbaruddin writes: Even while Guterres’ apocalyptic horsemen have been prancing around, the UN system has been missing in action, except at the fringes. Barring the descent of a guardian angel, the current multilateral order that Guterres presides over is in deep trouble.

Thu, Jul 02, 2020