General Assembly

The Disarmament Commission elected the Chair for its 2016 substantive session today, and reviewed the provisional agenda for the second year of its three-year cycle, to be held from 4 to 21 April.

Climate change, environmental issues, the migrant and refugee crisis, and the general threat of terrorism were among the concerns voiced by delegates at the General Assembly, speaking as world leaders gathered in New York for the seventieth session of the six-day general debate, which was preceded by a three-day summit on the Sustainable Development Goals as well as a high-level thematic debate on the maintenance of international peace and security.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) wrapped up the main part of its seventieth session tonight, recommending the General Assembly adopt a $5.4 billion budget for the United Nations for the 2016-2017 biennium.

Upon the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the General Assembly tonight approved a budget of $5.4 billion for the 2016-2017 biennium as it concluded the main part of its seventieth session.

The General Assembly today adopted 43 draft resolutions and 5 draft decisions on a plethora of issues relating to sustainable development, information and communication technologies, and countries in special situations.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today examined the proposed additional costs related to the holding of a high-level meeting on HIV/AIDS in June 2016.

Acting on the recommendation of its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural), the General Assembly adopted 57 draft resolutions and seven draft decisions today, tackling a wide range of issues from the global refugee crisis to the rights of the child, as well as human rights defenders and country-specific human rights situations.

JAKARTA, 16 December — After the two-day International Conference on the Question of Jerusalem concluded on 15 December, the United Nations Civil Society Forum on the Question of Palestine met this morning to hear from experts and engage in discussions on the theme of “Civil society action in support of justice in Palestine and ending the occupation”.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved a draft resolution calling for the prompt demolition of a temporary conference building on the United Nations main campus in New York.

The General Assembly today reaffirmed its common desire and commitment to the vision of the World Summit on the Information Society to build a people-centred, inclusive and development-oriented information society, as the 193-member body concluded its two-day high-level meeting reviewing the summit outcomes.