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.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its resumed session on the International Law Commission’s draft articles on “Crimes against humanity” today, delegates sparred over issues including the Commission’s use of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court as a starting point for the definition of such crimes and the contours of States’ obligation to prevent and punish the commission of these serious offenses.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the informal plenary meeting of the General Assembly on human security, in New York today:
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) met today to continue its consideration of the International Law Commission’s draft articles on “Crimes against humanity”, many delegates pointed to a gap in the existing international legal framework even as others differed on whether the articles are ready to be elaborated into a global agreement to bridge it.
The belief that the pursuit of nuclear weapons can guarantee the security of any State is a dangerous delusion, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Disarmament Commission at the opening of its 2024 annual session, as the body expanded its deliberation into emerging security threats, including the use of artificial intelligence in the military domain.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today concluded the first part of its resumed seventy-eighth session by sending the General Assembly seven decisions and resolutions, including its approval of funding a new institution tasked with finding the fate and whereabouts of all missing persons in Syria.
The scourge of slavery has left a painful legacy through persisting inequities, as well as marginalization, dehumanization and brutality, speakers in the General Assembly emphasized today, underscoring the need for education about its causes and consequences, as well as for meaningful collective action to end its modern-day forms and build a more just world.
Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today emphasized the vital role of the United Nations resident coordinator system in meeting development needs around the world, but disagreed on how best to ensure it is adequately paid for as they reviewed the Secretary-General’s proposed 2024 funding arrangements.
