General Assembly

The use of temporary property management posts came under the scrutiny of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today, as delegates discussed ways to strengthen assets control at the United Nations Secretariat.

The General Assembly today adopted by consensus a text on Accelerated Modalities of Action for Small Island Developing States (SIDS), known as the SAMOA Pathway.

Concluding its work for the session, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today approved 12 draft resolutions and three draft decisions, on special political missions, information, Middle East and organization of work, bringing to 28 the total number of draft texts it forwarded to the General Assembly for adoption.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved three draft resolutions today, among them, a new text designating 15 July as a World Youth Skills Day.

The General Assembly would demand that Israel cease exploiting, damaging, depleting and endangering the natural resources in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and the occupied Syrian Golan, according to the terms of one of seven draft resolutions approved today by the Second Committee (Economic and Financial).

The global fight against the Ebola virus so far had aborted a worst-case scenario of runaway increases in infections, but the disease was far from contained, delegates in the General Assembly heard today during an information briefing on the crisis.

Reform of the Security Council, long overdue, needed to reflect current political realities, delegates told the General Assembly today as it held its annual debate on the matter and the manner in which that body could become a more democratic, transparent and effective organ, tasked with delivering worldwide peace and security.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this morning to introduce a package of draft resolutions on a broad range of measures aimed at tackling pressing issues, including monitoring mercenaries, combating intolerance and human rights reporting on Syria.

The General Assembly today voted to retain mention of Syria in a resolution on cooperation between the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), as it took action on seven resolutions on cooperation between the United Nations and regional organizations.

Eight years after they gave the go-ahead for the massive, $2.21 billion-dollar renovation of the United Nations historic Headquarters building, delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) aired their concerns about financing nearly $155 million in additional costs, plans to make the Library and South Annex buildings secure, and the dismantling of the temporary North Lawn Building.