Member States had set the tone for progress towards developing a legally binding treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, the President of the Intergovernmental Conference on the matter said today as she concluded its three-day organizational meeting.
Consensus and balance were crucial in drafting a document that captured current progress and helped guide discussions towards a legally binding treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, delegates stressed in interactive dialogues during the second day of the Intergovernmental Conference on the matter.
With oceans and seas moderating global climate conditions, maintaining the earth’s ecosystem, and supporting the livelihood of more than 3 billion people, it was critical to develop a binding treaty aimed at the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity, delegates heard today as they convened to address organizational matters towards that goal.
Continuing its 2018 substantive session, the Disarmament Commission this afternoon elected René Zelený (Czechia) as Vice-Chair by acclamation, thus filling a remaining Bureau vacancy.
The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples today approved Grenada as the host of its 2018 Pacific Regional Seminar, to be held from 9 to 11 May.
Stressing that road traffic deaths and injuries remained a major public health and development problem with broad social and economic consequences, the Assembly today adopted a draft resolution titled “Improving global road safety”, cautioning that, if left unaddressed, the current situation could affect progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The General Assembly today adopted five texts on matters with financial implications, ranging from the downgrading of standards of accommodation for staff air travel to the modalities of a special meeting on the global fight against tuberculosis, in line with the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).
Citing allegations that illegal toxins had been used in a recent incident in the United Kingdom — and by various parties to Middle East conflicts — delegates today voiced alarm over mounting threats posed by chemical weapons and their nuclear and biological counterparts, as the Disarmament Commission concluded its annual general debate.
As a universal body with a mandate to make every effort to reach consensus, the Disarmament Commission could build on overcoming its 18‑year‑long deadlock to make a unique and constructive contribution to further signs of progress, from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s commitment to denuclearization to the reduction of strategic nuclear forces by the Russian Federation and the United States, delegates heard at the opening of its 2018 session, launching a new 3‑year cycle.
Concluding the first part of its resumed seventy-second session, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved — without a vote — five draft texts, including one on the rationalization of the use of the Organization’s travel resources.
