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.
With the United Nations striving to reform its development system into a more robust, reliable and accountable entity, delegates underscored the importance of sufficient financing, revamped country offices, host country relations and South-South cooperation, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up operational activities for development today.
States must do more to safeguard the rights of those facing intersecting forms of discrimination, experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates discussed the human rights of persons with disabilities, as well as freedoms of opinion and expression.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved two draft resolutions today as it concluded its general debate on questions relating to information.
Alarmed by the existence of thousands of atomic bombs installed worldwide, delegates today called for concrete steps to be taken, especially by the largest possessor States, to end arsenal modernization plans and to immediately reduce and eventually eliminate stockpiles, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) began its thematic discussion on nuclear weapons.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) took up the report of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) today, delegates called for an expansion of that Commission’s membership, along with reforms in investor‑State settlement disputes.
Experts described a landscape where Governments evict indigenous peoples from their homes and use technology to deny people living in poverty access to basic services, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its debate on the promotion and protection of human rights today.
