While New York City is uniquely suited for the work of diplomacy, banking and travel restrictions placed on some delegations not only is hindering official United Nations business, but is also in contradiction to the Headquarters Agreement between the United States and the Organization, the Sixth Committee (Legal) heard today, as it took up the Report of the Committee on Relations with the Host Country.
Adaptable mandates with clear transition planning are essential for successful peacekeeping operations, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today, as it concluded its annual general debate on the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.
As the General Assembly today adopted its annual resolution to end the United States‑led embargo against Cuba, speakers urged Washington, D.C., to heed the quarter‑century‑long call for an end to its restrictive policies.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved 21 draft resolutions and 3 draft decisions, many by record vote, related to nuclear disarmament, including ones calling for the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.
Speakers in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today expressed their concern over the deteriorating conditions at the Organization’s Nairobi conference centre, which are hindering the facility’s capacity to provide conference services.
After approving without a vote five resolutions on requests for observer status in the General Assembly and deferring one request, the Sixth (Legal) Committee today commenced its discussion on the report and draft articles addressing the protection of persons in the event of disasters, with delegates debating the merits of elaborating an international treaty.
Several delegates called today for enhanced regional partnerships and coordinated action, especially with the African Union, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its comprehensive review of peacekeeping operations.
Warning that the hospitality extended to refugees by developing countries should not be taken for granted, delegates in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) called today for a “whole-of-globe” approach to ensure that all countries do their fair share, as they continued their debate on the promotion and protection of human rights.
As delegates concluded consideration of the third and final cluster of topics from the International Law Commission’s annual report, they emphasized the importance of addressing controversial issues, such as immunity of State officials who had committed crimes against humanity and the protection of the environment during armed conflict and occupation, with care and an acknowledgement of the matters’ complexity and political sensitivity.
Uprooted by war, today’s 68.5 million refugees are often branded as threats — turned back at borders, left to perish at sea, or detained indefinitely in horrific conditions, Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as he called for a return to dignity, human rights and a sense of shared humanity.
