Taking up the agenda item on the responsibility of international organizations, speakers in the Sixth Committee (Legal) were divided about the future of the related International Law Commission’s draft articles, debating whether to codify those texts into an international instrument, keep the topic on the Committee’s agenda or utilize the drafts as guidelines.
As the global environmental crisis inflicts despair on millions of people worldwide, States must implement and enforce stronger climate and environmental laws, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today, as they also engaged in a series of interactive dialogues on equitable order, coercive unilateral measures and the right to safe drinking water.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), acting without a vote, approved two draft resolutions today, focused on press freedom, access to information in developing States and the work of the Department of Global Communications, as it concluded its debate on questions related to information.
Delegates in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today traded allegations over non-compliance with treaties banning biological and chemical weapons, which some called “morally repugnant” and a “breeding ground” for terrorists.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its consideration of the rule of law at the national and international levels, speakers underscored their countries’ sovereign right to decide on their national legal system, while others stressed the necessity to ensure full respect for international law through domestic legal frameworks. (For background, see Press Release GA/L/3694.)
Information integrity is crucial for transforming a digitally divided world into a knowledge society, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today as it continued its general debate on questions relating to information, while also approving — without a vote — a draft decision concerning the Non-Self-Governing Territory of Gibraltar.
Yesterday’s attack on the Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, which resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths, is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as they also engaged in a series of interactive dialogues on the right to education, cultural rights and the impact of climate change on persons with albinism.
While the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals has reached a critical juncture in its lifespan, the conclusion of its in-court activity “does not mean we are closing down”, its President said today as she briefed the General Assembly on its work over the past year.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) commenced today its consideration of the rule of law at the national and international levels and the Secretary-General’s report on the matter, delegates discussed the use of technology to advance access to justice for all, while also underscoring the importance of proper control and accountability to ensure human rights are respected.
Speakers today emphasized the vital role of the Department of Global Communications in disseminating accurate and fact-based information amid proliferating conflicts and pressing global challenges, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its review of questions relating to information.
