General Assembly

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), acting without a vote, concluded its work today by approving five draft resolutions, part of a package of 51 texts to be sent to the General Assembly for adoption.

The General Assembly would emphasize the need to optimize economic, social, cultural and environmental benefits of sustainable tourism, especially in African, least developed and small island developing States, according to one of three draft resolutions the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved today.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) sent 12 draft resolutions to the General Assembly today, tackling a range of issues from corruption and crime prevention, social development and children’s rights, to the rights of indigenous peoples and racial discrimination.

NEW YORK, 22 November (Division for Palestinian Rights) — The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will hold a special meeting in observance of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 29 November.

Sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as issues of privacy in the digital age, were the subjects of close votes and contentious debate today in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) as it sent 12 draft resolutions to the General Assembly.

The General Assembly this morning adopted 10 resolutions, nine of them without a vote, encouraging deeper cooperation between the United Nations and various regional organizations to address emerging challenges in sustainable development, fighting terrorism and economic integration.

State judicial sovereignty, the bounds of international law, and differing perspectives as to whether sexual orientation should be considered a human right, came to the fore during Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) discussions today, as delegates approved six draft resolutions on extrajudicial executions, the right to peace and the use of mercenaries.

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved three draft resolutions today, including “Entrepreneurship for Sustainable Development” (document A/C.2/71/L.20/Rev.1).

An intense discussion on the international legal standing of the death penalty and national sovereign rights to determine domestic judicial systems dominated Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) proceedings today, as delegates approved an amended draft resolution calling for a moratorium on that practice, by a recorded 115 votes in favour to 38 against, with 31 abstentions.

Unanimously adopting its annual resolution in support of the Government and people of Afghanistan, the General Assembly today heard expressions of alarm over recent spikes in civilian casualties and the influence of violent extremists, as speakers vowed to help the conflict-affected nation achieve its untapped potential.