Against a backdrop of climate change, devasting violence and acute humanitarian crises, the General Assembly today adopted three resolutions to strengthen its beleaguered relief system which struggles to aid millions of people in need. The Assembly also adopted a resolution titled “Assistance to the Palestinian People”, with many delegates noting the desperate humanitarian situation in Gaza.
Acting on the recommendations of its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) and Sixth Committee (Legal), the General Assembly today adopted a total of 50 resolutions and 13 decisions on items ranging from decolonization and the question of Palestine to the work of the International Legal Commission and restrictions on United Nations staff members from certain missions.
Member States today called for collective will to address cumulative pressures on oceans and their resources, which pose direct threats to people who depend on them, as the General Assembly adopted two draft resolutions in a joint debate on oceans and the law of the sea as well as sustainable fisheries.
With the sustainability of the non-proliferation regime under strain, the geopolitical context unpredictable, and perils to peace capricious and complex, the General Assembly today adopted 55 resolutions and 1 decision on the recommendation of its First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) with most failing to achieve consensus.
The General Assembly today designated 7 September as World Duchenne Awareness Day, to be observed as a United Nations day every year, beginning in 2024, as it held its annual debate on global health, with speakers expressing deep alarm over the persistent and deadly spread of tuberculosis.
Opening a day-long meeting on the question of Palestine, the General Assembly President warned that the longer the fear, distrust, appetite for revenge, hatred and anxiety fester and further deepen, the more lethal the psychological chasm grows, and the darker the shadow it will cast over generations to come.
In an unusual move, the General Assembly today voted on a draft resolution, annually adopted by consensus, on sport as an enabler for sustainable development, in a meeting during which most delegations displayed broad agreement that the Olympic and Paralympic Games can be a “game changer” by bringing people together and serving as a powerful engine for economic growth.
The General Assembly today filled vacancies in the Committee for Programme and Coordination, the main subsidiary body of the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council for such work, and in the Committee on Conferences, which advises the Assembly on matters pertaining to the organization of United Nations conferences.
The General Assembly today concluded its annual debate on Security Council reform, with several Member States stressing that the unfair and outdated rules and processes from the last century are not relevant in today’s world and paralyse the Council from taking meaningful action.
With increased violent conflicts around the world and heightened scrutiny of the Security Council’s actions as a result, the General Assembly met today for its annual debate on how to reform the 15-nation organ, with speakers reiterating their calls to make it more representative, transparent and accountable in order to address the most serious threats to international peace and security.
