General Assembly: Meetings Coverage

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today wrapped up its debate on the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013, several delegates criticized the budget for short-changing the Organization’s development agenda, at the expense of developing countries.

While peacekeeping operations remained an integral tool for maintaining peace and security, full‑scale military operations could not be seen as a replacement for long‑term peaceful diplomatic efforts, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) was told today as it concluded its debate on peacekeeping for the main part of the sixty‑sixth session.

As the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its debate on the promotion and protection of human rights today, Member States described national efforts to meet obligations to rights that they described as “equal, indivisible and mutually reinforcing”.

As the Sixth Committee concluded its debate on the first group of topics contained in the International Law Commission’s report and moved to its second group — “effects of armed conflicts on treaties”, “expulsion of aliens” and “protection of persons in the event of disasters” — the delegate of Colombia said the Commission’s draft articles on “protection of persons” were among the Commission’s most practical and efficient areas of work.

Governments must unite to create jobs or face the pressing danger posed by the massive movements organizing around the world, Juan Somavía, Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), said today during a joint meeting of Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and the Economic and Social Council.

Furthering compliance with non-proliferation, arms limitation and disarmament agreements and commitments, consolidating the African nuclear-weapon-free zone, enhancing transparency in armaments, and banning development and manufacture of new types of weapons of mass destruction were among the aims of the 22 draft texts approved today as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its action on the 53 draft texts before it.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today heard Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formally unveil an initial budget proposal of $5.197 billion for the 2012-2013 biennium that begins on the first of January.

Even as peacekeeping mandates increased in complexity and number, resources allotted to them were becoming scarcer, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) was told today during its consideration of the whole question of United Nations peacekeeping operations in all their aspects, which also brought to light the variance between developed and developing country contributions to the missions and the issue of including civilian protection in their mandates.

With multiple interrelated crises affecting developing countries and vulnerable populations disproportionately — causing further erosions in the progressive realization of human rights — it was time to recalibrate the human rights agenda to better include economic, social and cultural rights, along with the right to development, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) was told today.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) today resumed its consideration of the report of the International Law Commission, delegations lauded the recently finalized Guide to Practice on reservations to treaties as a sound legal reference for international law practitioners.