General Assembly: Meetings Coverage

The Sixth Committee (Legal) met this morning to consider an oral report by the Coordinator of the informal consultations on the administration of justice at the United Nations. Thomas Fitschen (Germany) gave a comprehensive review of the informal meetings, held 15, 16 and 18 October. He noted that the Secretariat had already responded to a number of questions that had arisen during the consultations, thus allowing for the timely conclusion of work on the topic.

Affirming that eliminating nuclear weapons must be achieved by ensuring equal security for all States, Pakistan’s representative today told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) that the efforts of major nuclear-weapon States had focused mainly on areas where their own security would not be compromised, such as by eliminating biological and chemical weapons, or by banning nuclear tests and fissile material.

While many countries today in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) were proud to highlight their significant advances in space exploration and technology, which they said contributed to economic growth and social benefits, others pressed for comprehensive international regulation owing largely to the dual use of outer space activities, so as to preserve the realm for civilian rather than military purposes.

Taking action for the first time this session, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today approved five draft resolutions that aim to bolster the global struggle to fight transnational organized crime and bring justice — including by strengthening international cooperation to curb drug trafficking and agreeing to better treatment for migrants and prisoners — as well as a draft decision on ending female genital mutilation.

Although universal jurisdiction served to fight impunity, it should only be used in exceptional circumstances when other means of justice had been exhausted, delegates told the Sixth Committee (Legal) today as it concluded its debate on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction.

While the international community had been “extremely generous” in addressing the many humanitarian crises with consequences for migrants in recent years, more could be done to improve its responses, the representative of the United States said today, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up its agenda item on globalization and interdependence.

The combustible mix of the centrality of missiles on the world stage, both for offensive and deterrent purposes, and the proliferation of mass destruction weapons created a complicated setting in which to pursue any far-reaching or globally binding commitments in that area, the First Committee heard today.

While encouraged by the United Nations overall financial health, delegates gathered at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today voiced their concerns about the Organization’s outstanding payments to Member States, the likelihood of a cash flow crunch at the end of 2012, and the possibility of additional assessments for the Capital Master Plan next year.

In two rounds of voting, the General Assembly today elected Argentina, Australia, Luxembourg, Republic of Korea and Rwanda to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for the next two years.

At a time when the world was becoming “more confined and dangerous than ever before”, the work of the University for Peace in bringing humanity closer to a peaceful planet had become even more relevant, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today before it approved by consensus a draft resolution on the University.