A lasting and peaceful solution to the six-year conflict in the Ukraine can only be achieved through the full implementation of the Minsk agreements, delegates told the General Assembly today, as they discussed ongoing aggression and human rights violations by the occupying Power in Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
Opening its 2020 session, members of the Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization expressed concern about a rising tide of unilateralism, debated longstanding questions on the merits and legality of sanctions and weighed such novel topics as the role of conciliation in the Organization’s broader dispute resolution toolbox.
Speakers called for more efforts to deploy women in United Nations peace operations worldwide and fully implement the Secretary-General’s strategy to make missions stronger, safer and more effective, as the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations concluded its annual general debate today.
The Disarmament Commission deferred the start of its 2020 organizational session meeting for 10 days today to enable the Committee on Relations with the Host Country to address the Russian Federation’s concerns over the non-issuance of delegates’ visas by the United States.
Investing more in training is among the best ways to increase the capacity of United Nations peace operations, while these missions should not be asked to do more with less resources, speakers told the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations today at the first meeting of its 2020 substantive session.
The preparation meeting for the 2020 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 concluded today, with delegates outlining their views on the potential content of the political declaration amid calls that it reflect the historical urgency to improve the state of the world’s waterways.
The world must galvanize collective action to protect and preserve the planet’s major water bodies, experts said today at the opening of a two-day preparatory meeting on the 2020 United Nations Conference to Support the Implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14.
Members of the Palestinian Rights Committee described their work today as all the more urgent in light of the new Middle East peace plan unveiled by the United States, which deviates from the long-held international consensus on the question of Palestine.
The General Assembly paid tribute today to Sultan Qaboos bin Said, who led Oman for nearly half a century and passed away on 10 January at age 79, with Secretary-General António Guterres praising him as a leader who prioritized cooperation and multilateralism, earning the respect of his people and those far beyond.
The Peacebuilding Commission elected Marc-André Blanchard (Canada) as Chair of its 2020 session today, while hearing an exchange of views on its work plan, covering the need for a “quantum leap” of support to the Peacebuilding Fund and the importance of expanding partnerships.
