Third Committee Approves Six Draft Resolutions, Covering Crime Prevention, Counter-Terrorism, Alternative Development
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) passed six draft resolutions today, covering a range of issues, from prison reform and counter‑terrorism efforts, to human trafficking and alternative development.
Four of the drafts fell under the broad theme of crime prevention and criminal justice, including one titled, “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons”, approved without a vote and introduced by the representative of Belarus, who said it reflected the latest trends and regional initiatives to counter trafficking networks.
By its terms, the Assembly would call on Member States, international organizations, civil society and the private sector to support prevention efforts in countries of origin, transit and destination by focusing on demand and the goods and services produced as a result of that practice. It would call on States to criminalize trafficking in persons in all its forms, including sexual exploitation, forced labour or services, slavery or practices similar to slavery, and servitude or the removal of organs, especially concerning children
The representative of the United States expressed her commitment to greater international cooperation to combat trafficking.
By a draft on the United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, the Assembly would decide that the main theme of the Fourteenth Congress would be “Advancing crime prevention, criminal justice and the rule of law: towards the achievement of the 2030 Agenda”. It would request the Secretary‑General to encourage the participation of representatives from relevant entities in the Congress.
A draft on practical applications of the Nelson Mandela Rules would have the Assembly encourage States to improve prison conditions and promote application of the Rules as the universally acknowledged updated minimum standards for the treatment of prisoners. It would request the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to continue ensuring broad dissemination of the Rules, design guidance material and provide technical assistance to States.
Under a draft on counter‑terrorism, the Assembly would urge Member States that had not yet done so to consider becoming parties to existing international conventions and protocols related to counter‑terrorism. It would request UNODC to enhance assistance related to international legal and judicial cooperation in countering terrorism, including in criminal matters related to foreign terrorist fighters.
In the area of human rights, the Committee approved without a vote a draft resolution on “National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights”. Germany’s representative, introducing the text, said the added value of national human rights institutions extended beyond the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Under its terms, the Assembly would reaffirm the importance of effective, independent and pluralistic national human rights institutions. It would request the Secretary‑General to continue to support those bodies complying with the Paris Principles and urge him to continue giving high priority to State requests for assistance in the establishment and strengthening of those bodies.
National human rights institutions provided a crucial link between States and individuals, said Australia’s representative, speaking after the draft’s approval.
The Committee concluded its work for the day by passing without a vote a draft text on promoting the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development.
By its terms, the Assembly would urge States to strengthen regional and international cooperation to support sustainable alternative development programmes and to consider strengthening the development perspective as part of comprehensive, integrated and balanced national drug policies. It would also urge States to consider devising sustainable urban development initiatives for those affected by illicit drug‑related activities.
At the meeting’s outset, the representative of the Russian Federation introduced a draft resolution on combatting glorification of Nazism. He stressed that humanity had been unable to eradicate the scourge of hate, pointing to an increase in the number of ideologically extreme groups across the world.
The Third Committee will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 9 November, to take further action on draft resolutions.
Action
Turning first to the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, the representative of the Russian Federation introduced a draft resolution on “Combating glorification of Nazism, neo‑Nazism and other practices that contribute to fuelling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance” (document A/C.3/72/L.56). He said that since the adoption of a similar document in the previous General Assembly session, the issues addressed in the text had only become more acute. Humanity had been unable to eradicate the scourge of Nazism, he stressed, pointing to the rise in extremist groups. It was unacceptable that accomplices to Nazi crimes be glorified.
The representative of Germany introduced a draft text titled “National institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights” (document A/C.3/72/L.45), which recognized that the added value of national human rights institutions extended beyond the Human Rights Council in Geneva, as they were neither State actors nor non‑Governmental organizations, cutting across the line between State and civil society. That enabled them to provide independent information, he said.
The Committee then approved the resolution without a vote.
The representative of Australia, speaking in explanation of vote, said national human rights institutions provided a crucial link between States and individuals. It was essential that they were able to participate in United Nations discussions, she said, encouraging the Commission on the Status of Women and other fora to enable national human rights institutions to participate in proceedings. Their participation represented best practice for all United Nations human rights institutions and mechanisms.
Turning next to crime prevention and criminal justice, the Committee then took up three resolutions recommended for adoption by the Economic and Social Council. The first draft was on “Follow‑up to the Thirteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and preparations for the Fourteenth United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice” (document A/C.3/72/L.2).
The text was approved without a vote.
Next, the Committee took up the draft resolution on “Promoting the practical application of the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules)” (document A/C.3/72/L.3).
A Secretariat official said that in operative paragraph 12, it was estimated that $807,700 in extra‑budgetary resources would be required to continue ensuring broad dissemination of the Nelson Mandela Rules. Regarding operative paragraph 13, it was estimated that extra‑budgetary resources of $338,700 would be required to facilitate the exchange of information on the practical application of the Rules.
The text was then approved without a vote.
The Secretary of the Committee then read a statement related to the draft resolution titled “Technical assistance for implementing the international conventions and protocols related to counter‑terrorism” (document A/C.3/72/L.4).
The Committee then approved the text without a vote.
The Committee then turned to a draft resolution titled “Improving the coordination of efforts against trafficking in persons” (document A/C.3/72/L.6/Rev.1).
The representative of Belarus introduced the draft, which sought to enhance a comprehensive approach to combating trafficking in persons and reflected the latest trends, including regional initiatives. It also reflected new challenges posed by information and communications technology and the Internet, which traffickers skilfully used to increase the scale of their practice. The draft included a request that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) collect and make information available to all States, and to convene a Principals’ meeting of the Inter‑Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons.
The Committee then approved the text without a vote.
The representative of the United States said her country was committed to working with international organizations, Member States, civil society and the private sector to promote greater coordination in eradicating human trafficking in all its forms. She welcomed that there would be a Principals’ meeting to strengthen the work of the Inter‑Agency Coordination Group against Trafficking in Persons and urged UNODC, as the convener, to collaborate with other agencies to ensure high‑level participation.
Finally, turning to international drug control, the Committee then took up a draft resolution recommended for approval by the Economic and Social Council, titled, “Promoting the implementation of the United Nations Guiding Principles on Alternative Development and related commitments on alternative development and regional, interregional and international cooperation on development‑oriented, balanced drug control policy addressing socioeconomic issues” (document A/C.3/72/L.5).
The text was approved without a vote.