General Assembly

Holding a series of expert panel discussions as part of its Fifth High‑Level Dialogue on Financing for Development, the General Assembly today provided space for in‑depth consideration by Government and civil society representatives of key issues such as reform of the international financial system, innovative sources of development aid, and the impact of the financial crises on foreign investment.

The deliberations that took place over the fifth High-level Dialogue on Financing for Development should be seen as an important step towards renewing and improving the global partnership for development launched by the landmark Monterrey Consensus and its follow-up Doha Declaration, the Acting President of the General Assembly said today.

With Palestinian refugees gaining none of the political and human rights advances seen elsewhere in the Middle East, and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) facing severe financial constraints, 18donors pledged contributions to the Agency’s 2012 budgetthis afternoon, with several Governments expressing their intention to announce their pledges at a later date.

Irrespective of the current global financial crisis, it was “time to get back to basics”, the General Assembly heard today, as delegations reaffirmed the mutual responsibilities and obligations of their Governments to fulfil commitments on development financing agreed at the dawn of the new century, and discussed new ways of raising more funds to rescue millions of people from poverty.

The General Assembly would stress the importance of continuing to consider the issue of development cooperation with middle-income countries, according to one of six draft resolutions that the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus today.

In the face of the increasingly devastating scourge of climate change and a global financial crisis that demanded the smarter use of natural resources, delegates in the General Assembly stressed today that urgent action was needed in efforts to sustainably manage the world oceans and marine ecosystems.

Marking the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteerism, the General Assembly today showcased the diversity, breadth and depth of volunteering worldwide, with United Nations officials, diplomats and volunteers themselves hailing volunteerism as “one of the clearest expressions of solidarity in action”.

The General Assembly would stress the need for active measures to reduce excessive food-price volatility, while acknowledging the incomplete understanding of its causes and the importance of carrying out more research, according to one of five draft resolutions that the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus today.

Stressing the need for the Secretary-General to make every effort to ensure that technical and logistical support is provided for elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in full and on time, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today asked the General Assembly to appropriate $69.56 million to the Special Account for the United Nations Mission in that country.

The General Assembly met this afternoon to consider ways to improve the on-the-ground effectiveness of the United Nations and ensure that the Organization delivered on two decades’ worth of development commitments, with delegations focusing on ways to strengthen civilian capacity in the aftermath of conflict and following-up the historic Millennium Summit.