The collapse of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will threaten lives, regional stability and the integrity of the multilateral system, its chief warned the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today, pointing to recent legislation passed by the Israeli Parliament that could end the Agency’s operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in less than three months.
In progress at UNHQ
General Assembly
Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today threw their support behind the Secretariat’s request for a $3.07 million intervention to keep the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone running smoothly in 2025, while raising concern over the current funding arrangement.
The General Assembly today elected members to several of its subsidiary bodies and committees and postponed a vote to appoint members to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.
From addressing transnational challenges to supporting national peacebuilding priorities, special political missions play a key role in the Organization’s peacebuilding architecture, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today, as it approved a draft resolution encouraging those missions to continue fostering inclusive partnerships with regional and subregional organizations as well as work closely with host Governments.
Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today considered the persistent cost overruns gripping the Strategic Heritage Plan renovation project at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
Sport serves as the ultimate unifier, bridging diverse cultures and generations, promoting sustainable development and offering young people a constructive alternative to crime and delinquency, Member States told the General Assembly today.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) sent eight draft resolutions to the General Assembly today, including texts on establishing a United Nations cybercrime convention, promoting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and combating the glorification of Nazism.
Speakers at the General Assembly today called for reforms to the Security Council’s constitution, representation and veto use, urging a renewed commitment to the adopted Pact for the Future, which itself should serve as a springboard to achieve these aims.
As the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its debate today on peacekeeping, speakers stressed the need to revise the current model, seeking stronger engagement between peacekeepers and communities, deeper understanding of local contexts and cultures, and a greater focus on addressing conflicts’ root causes, with some calling on the Security Council to adapt non-military approaches and increase cooperation with regional organizations.
Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today commended the Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to elevate the quality of United Nations conferences held around the globe while emphasizing the need to deliver these services in all six official languages.