General Assembly: No name

The International Criminal Court should be properly funded, particularly when it came to cases referred to it by the Security Council, the General Assembly heard today, as it concluded its debate on the Court’s report.

Speakers expressed unanimous satisfaction with the quality, independence, transparency and efficiency of the work of the International Court of Justice, and greater nuance in their responses to the International Criminal Court as the General Assembly took up the reports of those two bodies today.

Divergent opinions on the protection of civilians — including whether and when force could be used in defence of that mandate — emerged today as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) concluded its annual debate on United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Trafficking and targeted violations against women, indigenous peoples and other groups were among the national, regional and global concerns delegates raised as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights, introduced 14 draft resolutions and approved, without a vote, 6 texts on issues ranging from counter-terrorism to efforts to end gender-based violence.

Reiterating its deep concern at the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved a new draft revised resolution containing a universal declaration on the achievement of a nuclear-weapon-free world, one of 20 passed today.

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met this morning to introduce 17 draft resolutions, including one on “World Tsunami Day”, which aimed to raise public awareness, promptly disseminate information through early warning systems and implement the concept of “build back better”.

While peacekeepers must adapt to rapidly evolving situations, it was important to clarify — and understand — the legal, humanitarian and related issues surrounding the use of force in any operation of the “flagship” United Nations enterprise, speakers in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) emphasize today as they continued their comprehensive review of peacekeeping in all its aspects.

During an eventful day in which delegations and visiting legal advisors heard an address from the President of the General Assembly, the Sixth Committee (Legal) concluded the first cluster of topics from the annual report of the International Law Commission and then commenced consideration of the second cluster.

The United Nations must perform due diligence when engaging with corporations and avoid those with dubious records, said the representative of Brazil, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up global partnerships today.

The General Assembly would welcome the erection of the Ark of Return — the permanent memorial to honour the victims of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade — in a prominent place at United Nations Headquarters that would be easily accessible to delegates, staff and visitors, according to a draft resolution it adopted today.