Israel continued to strangulate the development aspirations of Palestinian people through myriad systematic campaigns to extract and exploit natural resources in the occupied Palestinian territories and the Golan, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) was told today.
Recognizing the potential of sport as a valuable tool in the achievement of peace and development, the General Assembly today adopted a resolution reaffirming its use to promote dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and after the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Sixth Committee (Legal) today approved, without a vote, requests for observer status in the General Assembly for the International Civil Defence Organization, which promoted the development of governmental bodies and mechanisms to respond to natural and man-made disasters, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association, comprised of 20 countries, which focused on fisheries management and gender equality.
It was ironic that the weapons that propelled and sustained conflict, causing a series of regional arms races in volatile parts of the world where non-State actors wreaked havoc on civilian populations, came from areas that enjoyed peace and stability, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as it embarked on its thematic debate on conventional weapons.
More research into the effects of atomic radiation on humans, especially at low-dose rates, was urgently needed, speakers in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) said today as it took up the issue this afternoon, unanimously approving a related draft resolution.
Capturing illicit financial flows could provide a “hidden resource” for funding development, delegates heard today at a joint meeting of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and the Economic and Social Council.
The overall effect of restrictive State law enforcement policies had put migrants at a greater risk, rendering them more vulnerable to human rights abuses and violations, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as six United Nations human rights experts presented reports on issues spanning from the right to food to trafficking.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) began deliberations on the Programme of Assistance in the Teaching, Study, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law today, speakers lauded not only the Programme’s fiftieth anniversary, but the achievement of its long-standing goal for funding of its core programmes to be requested by the Secretary-General in the regular budget.
Space security, safety and sustainability dominated debate today in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) and although there was broad agreement on the need to preserve that realm for the public good, divergent views emerged on how best to achieve that, with some speakers defending a non-legally binding code of conduct that took into account the political environment while others called for a binding treaty via an inclusive and transparent process.
This afternoon, the General Assembly reaffirmed its faith in the United Nations and its unfailing commitment to the purposes and principles of the 70-year-old Organization’s Charter.
