While Argentina would always defend the right to self‑determination everywhere, that principle was not absolute and must not be used as a pretext for interfering with the territorial integrity of existing States, the country’s representative cautioned today, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on decolonization issues.
The United Nations must ensure that the impact of its Economic and Social Council — a critical platform for measuring sustainable development progress and amplifying stakeholders’ voices — was “greater than the sum of its parts”, the General Assembly heard today as it considered the Council’s diverse activities in 2017.
Social customs and norms often erected barriers to women’s access to the resources needed for them to gain economic independence, speakers today told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), concluding discussions on the advancement of women.
Amid fears of a nuclear stand-off, several speakers addressing the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today drew attention to the danger of reaching a “point of no return”, and recommended ways to diffuse tensions.
The Organization’s financial indicators for 2017 for peacekeeping operations and the tribunals remained generally sound and positive, although the regular budget cash was currently exhausted and reserves were at low levels, the United Nations senior management official told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today.
Delegates from several African countries called for greater regional cooperation in the peaceful resolution of the Western Sahara question today, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on decolonization.
While delegates stressed that Member States must ensure accountability for crimes committed by their nationals when deployed as United Nations officials and experts on mission, speakers remained divided on elaborating an international convention addressing the matter, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) took up the topic today.
A petitioner appealed today for the parties to the dispute over Western Sahara to approach the issue in a spirit of compromise, rather than resurrecting old settlement plans or repeating arguments, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on decolonization.
Delegates in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) debated the international response to violence against women today, opening a discussion on the advancement of women.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its consideration of the report of the Secretary‑General on strengthening and coordinating United Nations rule of law activities, speakers spotlighted country‑specific initiatives that put that principle into practice and made its application more effective. (For background, see Press Release GA/L/3543.)
