General Assembly

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly debate on debt sustainability and socioeconomic equality for all, in New York today:

In a meeting triggered by a veto cast by the Russian Federation on 28 March to reject the adoption of a Council resolution that would have extended the mandate of the sanctions panel monitoring the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s nuclear weapon and missile programmes, speakers warned the General Assembly that the veto sets a dangerous precedent and could have a cascading effect on other Council sanctions.

Concluding its second resumed session on the International Law Commission’s draft articles on “Crimes against humanity” today, the Sixth Committee (Legal) adopted a written summary of its deliberations during both the 2023 and 2024 resumed sessions on this topic, also taking note of the Chair’s summary of the same, as orally amended, after multiple delegations raised concerns over its wording and content.

The Security Council failed to speak on a matter of grave importance as it remained paralyzed for months as the crisis in Gaza continued and vetoes proliferated, speakers told the General Assembly today, in a meeting triggered by vetoes cast by the Russian Federation and China on 22 March to reject the adoption of a Council resolution submitted by the United States on the conflict in Gaza.

The Sixth Committee (Legal) met this afternoon to hear oral reports from co-facilitators on the thematic clusters that oriented the Committee’s discussion this week, as it considered the International Law Commission’s draft articles on “Crimes against humanity”.

Israel’s “live-streamed” genocide — supported by many Western States — must not go unpunished, participants heard in Geneva today during the second day of the two-day Conference of Civil Society Organizations working on the Question of Palestine — convened by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People — with speakers discussing best practices to ensure accountability and Israel’s compliance with the rulings of the International Court of Justice.

The Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its consideration of the International Law Commission’s draft articles on “Crimes against humanity” today, with delegates further illustrating the nuance required to approach international codification on such crimes as they debated provisions seeking to establish safeguards before turning to the larger issue — the Commission’s recommendation to elaborate a convention on this topic.

The response to the war in Gaza is the litmus test for the international justice system, participants heard in Geneva today, during the first day of the two-day Conference of Civil Society Organizations working on the Question of Palestine — convened by the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People — with many highlighting the role of civil society in preserving international law and ensuring accountability.

The General Assembly today adopted a resolution on the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict, amid concerns over certain States’ efforts to block updates to the text.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its consideration of the International Law Commission’s draft articles on “Crimes against humanity”, today’s debate demonstrated the complexity of harmonizing varying domestic legal frameworks, with speakers calling for clarifications of provisions that would govern jurisdiction, extradition and mutual legal assistance in a future convention aiming to prevent and punish such crimes.