General Assembly: Meetings Coverage

The trust that States placed in the International Court of Justice was vital to the future of international jurisdiction and the very nature of the Court’s work, the President of that body told the Sixth Committee (Legal) today.

As the Sixth Committee continued its review of the International Law Commission’s report, delegates completed the first cluster of topics from the report and commenced their consideration on the second, tackling the complex nature of the immunity of State officials, as well as the legal aspects of the protection of the atmosphere.

Calling for States to “put aside their inflexible positions” and resume the proper functioning of disarmament machinery, delegates sought common ground on nuclear disarmament as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its thematic debate segment and began action on draft texts.

The cooperation and input of host countries was vital to the success of United Nations peacekeeping operations, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today, while continuing its general debate on the comprehensive review of United Nations peacekeeping.

A corrosive international environment fuelled by sanctions and harsh rhetoric negatively impacted vital economic sectors and the enjoyment of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the United Nations expert monitoring that situation told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it continued discussion of country reports and other human rights matters.

An increase in the number of cases deferred to the International Court of Justice only reaffirmed Member States’ faith in the judicial body, the General Assembly heard today, as several speakers called on those who had not yet done so to accept the Court’s compulsory jurisdiction without reservations.

At a crossroads on how to overcome the long‑standing impasse in the Conference on Disarmament, speakers in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today discussed ways to revitalize the disarmament machinery and maintain its relevance as a deliberative institution for global arms control.

Reform activities must resolve the imbalance between core and non‑core funding and strengthen South‑South cooperation with respect for national sovereignty, speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it took up its agenda item on operational activities for development.

United Nations peacekeeping succeeded when it evolved and adapted in response to the changing nature of conflict, a senior official in the relevant department told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today, highlighting reform measures recently announced by the Secretary‑General.

While many claims of “terrible inhuman violent acts” in Rakhine State had been made in recent months, it was undeniable that hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims had fled to Bangladesh following alleged attacks by militants, the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) today.