General Assembly

The General Assembly today elected 14 States to the Human Rights Council, the United Nations body responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe.

Amid a crumbling foundation of the international disarmament and non‑proliferation architecture, efforts must focus on returning to a multilateral path towards the commonly shared goal of a world without nuclear weapons, delegates said, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.

Ensuring the protection of human rights in counter‑terrorism instruments, tackling contemporary threats to judicial independence, and the role of multinational forums in fostering a more equitable world order were among the topics addressed in briefings to the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates engaged with experts in lively interactive dialogues.

Despite a significant reduction in the rate of worldwide extreme poverty, speakers stressed that eradicating it has slowed, especially in rural areas, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) met to take up that issue today.

Delegates remained divided on the appropriate forum for continuing discussions on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) resumed its consideration of the matter today.

The General Assembly today paid tribute to the President of its fiftieth session, Diogo Freitas do Amaral of Portugal, who passed away on 3 October at age 78, with Secretary-General António Guterres praising him as “a renowned jurist, brilliant scholar, and a public servant of the highest order” who played a key role in his country’s democratic process.

Taking action on a series of decolonization texts today, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved five draft resolutions — three of them by recorded vote — and one draft decision for adoption by the General Assembly.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) today took up two agenda items, the responsibility of States for internationally wrongful acts and diplomatic protection, delegates held a vigorous debate on the question of elaborating the draft articles addressing both principles into legally binding conventions.

Freedom of peaceful assembly, global refugee protections, women’s civil liberties and the well-being of human-rights defenders are values under siege, United Nations experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates continued their debate on the promotion and protection of human rights.

Speakers today underscored the crucial link between disarmament and sustainable development, alongside a grave concern over the future of the fitful global arms control agenda, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.