Nine years after the Russian Federation’s illegal annexation of Crimea and 500 days after its invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly met today to intensify its call for a peaceful end to a conflict that has killed and injured tens of thousands of people while scattering 6 million refugees across Europe and displacing millions more within Ukraine.
Prior to adopting 18 Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) draft texts, the General Assembly today took up the 2022 Security Council report, with some delegations appealing for a more substantive and analytical account of the 15-nation organ’s work, while others spotlighted the Council’s limitations due to the veto, which was preventing a timely response to threats to international peace and security.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today bolstered the operations of the Organization’s peacekeeping operations by approving $6.1 billion for nine active peacekeeping missions, three service centres and the support staff at Headquarters.
Prior to adopting two draft texts by consensus, the General Assembly voted on a contentious resolution that created a new mechanism to respond to the missing persons crisis in Syria, with some speakers arguing it could contribute to national reconciliation and sustainable peace and others stressing that, not only was Damascus not consulted, but the mechanism interferes with Syria’s internal affairs.
Transformative actions, adequate financing and cooperative work across the entire peace, security and development nexus are urgently required for much-needed progress on sustainable development, speakers reported today during at a joint meeting of the Economic and Social Council and Peacebuilding Commission.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial), during a brief meeting today, approved without a vote a draft decision (document A/C.2/77/L.78) regarding the revitalization of its work.
Following its annual debate on the responsibility to protect and the prevention of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, the General Assembly adopted two resolutions today, one on the residual functions of the Cambodia courts that prosecuted former leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime, and the other on the importance of supporting mental health concerns.
Wrapping up their eighth annual review of the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, several delegates in the General Assembly today outlined the specific measures their countries are taking to curb the spread of terrorism while recognizing the victims of this global menace.
The Special Committee on Decolonization concluded its 2023 substantive session today, approving 17 resolutions to be forwarded to the General Assembly for adoption. It also approved the draft conclusions and recommendations and the procedural report of the 2023 Pacific regional seminar on the implementation of the Fourth International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.
The Special Committee on Decolonization today approved a draft resolution reaffirming the inalienable right of the people of Puerto Rico to self-determination and independence and calling again upon the United States to assume its responsibility to promote a process to those ends.