Amid increases in global military expenditures, nuclear weapons acquisitions and stock modernization, delegates stressed that there would be “no winners” in any kind of nuclear weapon confrontation and this funding would be better spent on achieving vital development objectives, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate today.
Members of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today urged one another to work harmoniously to tackle a complex agenda that includes management issues, the Secretary-General’s reform agenda and the possible readjustment of a methodology used to assess Member States’ contribution to the regular budget as well as its peacekeeping operations.
Hampered by such obstacles as trade barriers, debt distress, food insecurity, climate change and meagre resources, the world’s poorest countries lagged furthest behind in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it began its general debate.
Delegates called upon administering Powers today to take the necessary steps to attain the rapid decolonization of the 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate on that topic.
The undermining of independent judiciaries, along with other trends impacting access to justice, has been increasing around the world, a top United Nations official warned, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) took up the matter of the rule of law at the national and international levels today.
Multilateralism and rules‑based international order are key to reducing the risks of nuclear weapons being used, whether by accident or deliberately, delegates told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today at the opening of its general debate, with representatives spotlighting a range of threats and progress, from the use of chemical weapons to ongoing efforts to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.
With the #MeToo rallying cry at full volume, calls to bring the perpetrators of sexual assault to justice have broken the code of silence plaguing survivors for too long, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today as it continued its debate on the advancement of women amid appeals for Governments, schools and board rooms to root out abuse.
As the ultimate bastion of multilateralism, the United Nations is the best bulwark against the rising tide of protectionism and unilateralism, the General Assembly heard today as it took up the Secretary‑General’s annual report on the work of the Organization.
Increasing the efficiency of the registration process for treaties will contribute to an improved international treaty framework, the Sixth Committee (Legal) heard today as it took up that topic for the first time, alongside criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission.
The world is at a “moment of opportunity” in eliminating violence against women and girls, UN-Women Deputy Executive Director Åsa Regnér told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, calling for “unqualified” support for a strengthened feminist movement.
