The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today heard United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formally unveil an initial budget proposal of $5.57 billion for the 2016-2017 budget cycle that begins 1 January 2016. The proposal was down 1.6 per cent, or $90.8 million, from the appropriation for the current two-year budget cycle that ends in December and up $10.2 million, or 0.2 per cent, from the budget outline figure set by the General Assembly nearly a year ago.
The new Sustainable Development Goals could not be achieved without full and equal rights for all women, top United Nations officials told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it began its discussion on the advancement of women with an interactive debate.
The United Nations should be realistic about future challenges, and ambitious in its responses, speakers told the General Assembly today, as it took up the Secretary-General’s report on the future of the Organization’s peace operations.
Transition from the Millennium Development Goals to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development required support tailored to “our changing needs and priorities”, the representative of Maldives told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) as it took up its agenda item on operational activities today.
Petitioners on the question of Western Sahara voiced strident opinions on the long-standing dispute as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its annual debate on decolonization matters this morning, with experts warning that the contested territory could become a “safe haven for terrorism” if the issue was not promptly resolved.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its general discussion on crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control today with an invitation from the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Member States to “build a bridge” between the recently adopted 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals and the General Assembly’s Special Session on the world drug problem in 2016.
Despite some gains, the world had been locked in a “cycle of intense frustration” over the lack of progress on nuclear disarmament, as the “flawed step-by-step approach” was not enough to achieve the goal of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today, as it continued its general debate.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began examining the United Nations’ programme planning, a critical process in the Organization’s regular budget formulation, while approving a recommendation that five Member States in arrears on dues payment be allowed to vote in the General Assembly.
A far-reaching debate on the best interests of Non-Self Governing Territories fostered contentious exchanges and strong opinions from a broad array of representatives and petitioners this afternoon, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) entered its second day of debate on decolonization issues.
The work of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) must be aligned with the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, the Committee heard today as it conducted a discussion on its working methods after concluding its general debate.
