General Assembly: Meetings Coverage

Notwithstanding considerable complexities, political actors had to make courageous choices and not relent in pursuit of a peaceful resolution to create a viable State of Palestine, end the occupation, and find a lasting solution to the plight of the refugees, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said this afternoon, as the Fourth Committee launched its annual consideration of the Agency’s work.

The Human Rights Council had established an intergovernmental working group to elaborate an international convention to regulate private military and security companies, using as its basis the draft text presented to the Council in September by its working group on the use of mercenaries, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) was told today.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) concluded its current consideration of the International Law Commission’s annual report, the representative of Sri Lanka called on the Commission’s study group to draft broad guidelines or model clauses on the topic of the “most-favoured-nation clause”, a theme serving as a focus for discussion today along with “treaties over time”, the “obligation to extradite or prosecute” and “shared natural resources”.

Developed countries must take the lead to ensure the adoption of a legally binding agreement at the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Cancun, Mexico, later this month, delegates stressed today as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) began its consideration of sustainable development.

As consideration of the International Law Commission’s report continued in the Sixth Committee today, the Committee also heard an address from the President of the International Court of Justice, which was then followed by an interactive dialogue with Committee members.

Noting with satisfaction the establishment of a new strategic relationship between the Russian Federation and the United States and the desire of the two to bring their nuclear postures into alignment with that new relationship, and their endeavour to reduce further the role and importance of nuclear weapons, the First Committee today approved a draft resolution welcoming the signing of the new START Treaty.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today wrapped up its debate on proposals to overhaul the management of the Organization’s global staff, as several delegates urged management to boost the ranks of employees from developing countries, while others remained unhappy with the Secretary-General’s plan for issuing continuing appointments.

Five years after its establishment, the Peacebuilding Commission was today at a crossroads, and the United Nations must choose whether to place peacebuilding at the heart of its work, or allow the advisory body to settle into the limited role it had developed thus far, General Assembly delegates stressed today as they pledged to conduct their first in-depth review of the Organization’s peacebuilding architecture.

Given the current “renaissance of nuclear energy”, Member States and other users were ever more eager to evaluate risk and establish appropriate safety and protection standards over radiation levels from energy production and exposure to nuclear installations, and to assess the consequences on human health and the environment, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today as it began its consideration of the effects of atomic radiation.

The Third Committee took action today on two resolutions on social development, while postponing action on a third regarding efforts to end all forms of violence against women, after it concluded its discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights.