The illicit circulation of small arms and light weapons around the world is having humanitarian and socioeconomic consequences that are undermining sustainable development and efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts, delegates said today as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its thematic debate on conventional weapons.
Special Rapporteurs presenting country‑specific reports warned of Governments wilfully flouting international norms on such issues as the detention of children and the holding of credible elections, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its interactive dialogues on human rights today.
The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals is crucial to continue the vital legal work of bringing to justice the perpetrators of atrocities committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, the General Assembly heard today, as speakers noted progress in the Mechanism’s second year of functioning.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved a draft resolution today, by which the General Assembly would urge States to provide humanitarian assistance for victims of anti-personnel mines, as it concluded its consideration of assistance in mine action.
Raising concerns for the reappearance of the use of chemical weapons in places such as Syria, Malaysia and the United Kingdom, States exchanged the best ways to identify and bring perpetrators to justice, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued thematic discussions on conventional arms and other weapons of mass destruction.
A significant increase in statelessness, extreme human-rights violations against people with albinism and the pressing situation of Rohingya refugees were among the concerns addressed in briefings to the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates discussed the human rights of minorities, among other topics.
Nuclear‑weapon States disagreed today on who bears responsibility for a deteriorating global security environment, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its thematic debate on nuclear weapons against the backdrop of an impasse in disarmament and non‑proliferation efforts.
Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian territories and the Syrian Golan violates international law and the human rights and living conditions of millions living there, speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it took up the issue of those lands.
Beginning its consideration on the prevention of transboundary harm from hazardous activities and the allocation of loss in the case of such harm, as well as the law of transboundary aquifers, the Sixth Committee (Legal) today debated the merits of formalizing the draft articles on the two topics into a binding international convention.
International support remains fundamental to help Africa overcome its myriad development challenges including lack of funding and capacity, as the continent strengthens its commitment to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union, the General Assembly heard today.
