General Assembly

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) took up the pattern of conferences today, delegates stressed the need for improvements to the system of preparing documents, calling for more timely availability of documentation in all six official United Nations languages and for higher quality translation.

The General Assembly today unanimously adopted two draft resolutions: one on the 2012 report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and another regarding sports and peace and development.

The right to self-determination was an integral element of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as it concluded its general discussion on that subject, and on the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.

Risk reduction and prevention were crucial to the “protection of persons in the event of disasters”, emphasized speakers in the Sixth Committee (Legal), as deliberations concluded on a broad range of issues from the International Law Commission’s report.

Financial resources remained the “lifeblood” to meeting development goals, the General Assembly President told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it concluded its general debate on sustainable development.

As the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) session drew to a close today, Committee Chair Ibrahim Dabbashi of Libya said that the “record-breaking” number of statements delivered during the general and thematic debates indicated an increase in international awareness on the issues of disarmament and international security, as well as more dynamic participation by the delegations.

Nuclear technology was fuelling countries’ efforts towards harnessing clean, cost-effective energy sources to help them in meeting the Millennium Development Goals, delegates in the General Assembly heard during the start of a two-day debate on the latest report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Through the deployment of special political missions across the world, the United Nations had diversified its crisis-response “toolbox”, and Member States now had at their disposal a wider number of mechanisms for a nimbler, more coherent response in wake of conflict, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard during consideration of the new item on its agenda.

A United Nations expert urged support today for the proposed International Decade for People of African Descent as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) began its discussion on racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and the right to self-determination.

Praising the Sixth Committee for its efforts to ensure justice and respect for international obligations, the President of the General Assembly emphasized that the rule of law must be integrated into other global processes, including the post-2015 development agenda.