In a day filled with voting and contentious debate, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today expressed itself on human rights defenders, migrants and the safety of journalists by approving 14 resolutions on those and other topics.
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General Assembly
The General Assembly, meeting concurrently with the Security Council this afternoon, elected Dalveer Bhandari (India) to the International Court of Justice for a nine‑year term, beginning on 6 February 2018.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today approved eight draft resolutions, including one calling on Israel to cease exploitation of the occupied Palestinian territory and Syrian Golan.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved 11 draft resolutions today, ranging from the protection of human rights when countering terrorism, to safeguarding access to drinking water and sanitation, and creating youth-effective policies.
The General Assembly adopted a resolution today spotlighting the role of the United Nations Regional Centre for Preventive Diplomacy for Central Asia in galvanizing preventive diplomacy across that region, while also appointing individuals to serve on several key subsidiary bodies based on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary).
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved 16 draft resolutions today, tackling a wide range of issues including human rights in Myanmar, elimination of racism, the Human Rights Council and unilateral coercive measures.
Delegates emphasized that cost‑of‑living adjustments must be applied consistently throughout the United Nations common system in line with current economic realities, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today examined new and proposed compensation rules that governed, among other things, separation payments, dependency allowances and salary scales for staff in Geneva.
An occupying Power must act in good faith and comply with the core principles of international humanitarian law, a top United Nations expert told the Palestinian Rights Committee today, as it approved four draft resolutions for consideration by the General Assembly.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved five draft resolutions today, four covering human rights situations in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Syria, Iran and Crimea, as well as one focused on a training centre for South-West Asia and the Arab region.
Delegates spotlighted the need to engage fully and equally with all Member States in order to improve the General Assembly’s working methods, authority and transparency, as the 193‑member organ concluded its annual debate on the revitalization of its work.