Describing decolonization as a complex issue spanning multiple interests, a delegate emphasized today that the United Nations must support the rights of indigenous populations over those of colonizers, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate on the issue.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today approved its work programme for the seventy‑second session, which covers topics ranging from the decolonization of the 17 remaining Non‑Self‑Governing Territories, through the peaceful uses of outer space to the plight of Palestinian refugees and Israel’s practices in the Occupied Arab Territories.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met today for a brief organizational meeting to elect its Chair and adopt its agenda and work programme for the seventy‑second session of the General Assembly.
Continuing its high‑level meeting on human trafficking today, speakers in the General Assembly called for more tailored, effective multilateral responses to that “heinous” crime while outlining national efforts to protect its victims and prosecute perpetrators.
Survivors of human trafficking today recounted painful stories of kidnapping, violence and rape — often the result of criminals exploiting their hopes for a better life — as the General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration aimed at combating that brutal practice.
Against a backdrop of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, speakers in the General Assembly today emphasized the urgent need for firm political will to advance towards the total elimination of all nuclear weapons.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the United Nations General Assembly held its first meeting of the seventy-second session this afternoon to introduce the Bureau and approve the organization of its work.
Following a week of clarion calls for diplomacy, promises to build a more equitable world order and impassioned accounts of such crises as war and climate change, General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák (Slovakia) closed the seventy-second annual general debate today with a vow to “do even more” to resolve those myriad challenges.
Security, human rights and international law took centre stage at the General Assembly today, with States diverging over how best to preserve their stability in the face of existential threats, as the 193-member body entered the fifth day of its annual high-level debate.
The interdependence of States and the benefits of joint action must be recognized and reaffirmed, the General Assembly heard today, as speakers debated the value of multilateralism in addressing pressing global challenges, ranging from inequality to climate change.
