Any peace based on deterrence was akin to peace between two persons pointing guns at each other’s heads with their fingers on the trigger, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as it began its thematic discussion on nuclear weapons, with briefings by the heads of the relevant organizations and agencies.
The provisional approval of the draft revised Notes on Organizing Arbitral Proceedings and parts of a model law on secured transactions were among key achievements during the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s (UNCITRAL) forty-eighth session, said its Chair as he presented that Commission’s report to the Sixth Committee (Legal) today.
As it began its discussion of sustainable development, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) emphasized that the need for an effective global response to climate change could not be overstated.
The Economic and Social Council was the most important body in the implementation of the newly adopted ambitious 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the General Assembly heard today as Member States commented on the Council’s latest annual report.
Decrying crimes committed by the small number of United Nations officials and experts on mission, speakers in the Sixth Committee (Legal) today said such acts tarnished the reputation of the Organization and damaged relations with local populations, as they called for perpetrators to be held to account.
“Nuclear weapons are a loaded gun pointing to the head of humankind,” the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today at the conclusion of an annual debate that reflected a growing appetite for weighing the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons and the imperative of putting an end to their testing, frustration over the stand-off in the disarmament treaty-making body, and the disproportionate impact of small arms and light weapons — for which progress hinged on consistency with national interests.
Speakers praised the African Union’s ambitious 50-year “Agenda 2063”, which together with its first 10-year implementation plan, the Addis Ababa funding scheme, and the universal 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, was a holistic and coherent framework for advancing and following up on Africa’s development, the General Assembly heard today as it took up the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) unanimously approved a draft resolution today, by which the General Assembly would urge all mine-affected States to identify all areas containing mines and other explosive remnants of war, and engage in clearance when possible.
Comprehensive measures and international cooperation were necessary to protect children from violence, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as it concluded its debate on the rights of children.
Underscoring parity and fairness, delegates called for the equal treatment of States in the promotion of the rule of law, as well as improved leverage for countries with limited capacities in multilateral treaty processes, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its deliberations today on the principle.
