Indigenous languages are in danger of extinction unless concrete measures are taken to protect them, speakers warned today, as the General Assembly convened a high‑level event marking the conclusion of the 2019 International Year of Indigenous Languages.
The General Assembly today adopted five humanitarian‑focused resolutions, primarily on strengthening coordination of United Nations humanitarian and disaster relief assistance, while rejecting two amendments proposing to remove language related to reproductive and sexual health in emergency situations.
Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today backed the full 2020 funding of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) at $20.4 million to help the mission created in June by the Security Council carry out its mandate to create a peaceful and stable environment.
The United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization, currently chaired by Keisha Aniya McGuire (Grenada), will undertake a visiting mission to Montserrat from 17 to 20 December, while also holding meetings in Antigua and Barbuda.
United Nations conference facilities in Kenya’s capital badly need upgrading and expansion as a centre for multilateralism, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard today, as it also examined the required financial resources to implement resolutions and decisions adopted by the Human Rights Council.
The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of its First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), adopted 57 draft resolutions and three decisions today, including many aimed at reinvigorating multilateral efforts to curb the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, biological and conventional weapons in all corners of the world.
The General Assembly today adopted three resolutions on the culture of peace, highlighting the need to foster interreligious and cultural dialogue, temper social media and bolster education in efforts to prevent future clashes between and within societies.
While the General Assembly today adopted, without a vote, a draft resolution on global health and foreign policy that aims at strengthening health‑care systems, some delegations rejected language referring to reproductive rights, contending that abortion should not be recognized as a right, and called for a vote on two paragraphs.
The United Nations Controller and the Chairman of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) urged delegates today to accelerate their efforts to agree on a 2020 budget in order to prevent a shutdown of most global operations and avoid exacerbating the Organization’s ongoing liquidity crisis.
