As the Sixth Committee (Legal) took up the Secretary‑General’s annual report on the Status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts (document A/75/263), some speakers highlighted the importance of ratifying the Protocols universally, while others voiced reservations based on their national experience.
Approving five draft resolutions aimed at curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) rejected one that would have had the Security Council consider complaints of incidents involving biological and chemical weapon use, as delegates expressed divergent views on ways to hold perpetrators accountable, with some cautioning against politically driven proposals.
The General Assembly concluded its debate on the report of the International Court of Justice today, with speakers describing the growing docket of the principal United Nations judicial organ as a sign of rising confidence among Member States in the authority and legitimacy of its judgements and advisory opinions.
Reflecting a growing divergence on how best to rid the world of atomic arsenals, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) held more than 50 separate recorded votes on multiple provisions of the 22 nuclear‑weapon‑related draft resolutions and decisions Member States approved today.
Frustration with a lack of meaningful progress and divisions over the appropriate scope and application of universal jurisdiction permeated the discussion in the Sixth Committee (Legal) today, as delegates took up the report of the Secretary‑General, “The scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction” (document A/75/151).
Delegates called today for inclusive discussions and the swift appointment of a new Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General to move the Western Sahara peace process forward, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its joint general debate on a range of topics.
The General Assembly, acting without a vote, adopted a resolution today that acknowledges the role of the International Criminal Court in ending impunity and promoting human rights, and calls upon States to cooperate with the tribunal regarding the arrest of fugitive defendants.
The General Assembly today concluded its high-level meeting to commemorate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations, with several Member States remembering how the Organization’s peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts lifted them out of conflict and put them back on the path to a better future.
Delegates called upon the United Nations Department of Global Communications to counter the spread of misinformation and discrimination associated with the COVID‑19 pandemic, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its joint general debate today.
As the as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its joint general debate today, some delegates called upon the administering Powers of Non‑Self‑Governing Territories to fulfil their responsibilities under the Declaration on Decolonization, while others emphasized the importance of cooperation between peace operations and host countries.
