The General Assembly today concluded its debate on the responsibility to protect civilians, its first in nine years, with delegates continuing to wrestle with the extent to which States should step in to stop — and ultimately prevent — genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Acting by consensus, the General Assembly today adopted an oral decision on Security Council reform, which allowed for continuing discussion on that subject during its forthcoming seventy‑third session.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved a draft resolution on peacekeeping today, endorsing the proposals and conclusions of the report of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations. It also elected a Vice-Chair to its Bureau.
Speakers shed light on their respective efforts to combat radicalization and violent extremism, as the General Assembly wrapped up its review of the Global Counter‑Terrorism Strategy today.
The world could not afford to underestimate the threat of terrorism, the General Assembly heard today as it adopted by consensus a resolution stressing the need for countries to join forces, with many Member States reiterating that no one country nor Government could tackle the scourge alone.
A total of 20 donors today announced contributions, or their intention to contribute, to the 2018 budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as officials called for stable financing for the Agency amid devastating conflicts and violence in the Middle East.
Preventing atrocity crimes was not only essential in humanitarian terms but also economically more effective than crisis response, speakers stressed as the General Assembly today opened its debate on the responsibility to protect civilians and avert genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
The General Assembly, meeting concurrently with the Security Council today, elected Yuji Iwasawa (Japan) to the International Court of Justice until 5 February 2021.
The Special Committee on Decolonization concluded its 2018 substantive session today, having approved a total of 22 draft resolutions and decisions on lingering self‑determination questions in Non‑Self‑Governing Territories spanning Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, the South Pacific and beyond for submission to the General Assembly.
The General Assembly today adopted two resolutions, the first of which urged the Russian Federation to unconditionally withdraw its troops and armaments without delay from the territory of the Republic of Moldova.
