General Assembly: Meetings Coverage

Alarmed at the increase in racist violence and xenophobic ideas in many parts of the world, the General Assembly would express unequivocal condemnation of all forms of racism and racial discrimination by one of five draft resolutions approved today as the Third Committee concluded its work for the current session.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning made recommendations to the General Assembly on the final administrative liquidation budget of the recently-terminated United Nations Observer Mission in Georgia (UNOMIG).

After calling a do-over vote for technical reasons, the Third Committee today approved the wording of a decision that would have the General Assembly welcome the outcome document of the Durban Review Conference and endorse its provisions, while deciding to implement the Review’s outcome as part of the wider implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Profoundly concerned that the situation of children in many parts of the world remained critical, the Third Committee approved a draft resolution that explicitly recognized the right of young people to be heard in all matters affecting them today, on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

While early and concrete successes underlined the importance of the young Peacebuilding Commission and Peacebuilding Fund ‑‑ established at the General Assembly’s 2005 World Summit to help countries emerging from conflict hold on to fragile reconstruction gains ‑‑ broader support and resources were needed, notably from the private sector, to enable those bodies to realize their potential, Assembly delegates said today as they considered progress achieved thus far.

The General Assembly, gravely concerned by the findings of the Secretary-General’s Board of Inquiry and the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza conflict, would stress the need for “serious follow-up” by all parties of the recommendations addressed to them, by one of 11 draft texts approved today by the Fourth Committee as it concluded its work for the session.

Raising grave concerns over the dangers posed to political and socio-economic stability by the illegal drug trade, the Third Committee today approved, by consensus, a draft resolution paving the way for the General Assembly to adopt a declaration and plan of action on international cooperation towards a strategy to counter the world drug problem, as adopted at the high-level segment of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs in March.

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus today a draft resolution on South-South cooperation for development and an oral decision on postponement of the fourth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development.

Only 17 days ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon today refuted reports that the talks on reducing heat-trapping greenhouse gas emissions would fall short of expectations, and called on Member States to forge the political determination needed to broker a comprehensive deal that would create the climate security all nations desired.