General Assembly

The past year has been the worst in two decades for the voluntary repatriation of refugees, and due to the changing nature and intractability of some conflicts, the world was now faced with “quasi-permanent global refugee populations,” the Third Committee was told today by the head of the United Nations refugee agency.

Despite marked improvements for millions of slum-dwellers worldwide over the last decade, the number of people living in urban squalor was still rising and must be addressed through global action, Joan Clos, Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it began consideration the work of that agency.

Notwithstanding considerable complexities, political actors had to make courageous choices and not relent in pursuit of a peaceful resolution to create a viable State of Palestine, end the occupation, and find a lasting solution to the plight of the refugees, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) said this afternoon, as the Fourth Committee launched its annual consideration of the Agency’s work.

The Human Rights Council had established an intergovernmental working group to elaborate an international convention to regulate private military and security companies, using as its basis the draft text presented to the Council in September by its working group on the use of mercenaries, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) was told today.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) concluded its current consideration of the International Law Commission’s annual report, the representative of Sri Lanka called on the Commission’s study group to draft broad guidelines or model clauses on the topic of the “most-favoured-nation clause”, a theme serving as a focus for discussion today along with “treaties over time”, the “obligation to extradite or prosecute” and “shared natural resources”.

Developed countries must take the lead to ensure the adoption of a legally binding agreement at the 2010 United Nations Climate Change Conference to be held in Cancun, Mexico, later this month, delegates stressed today as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) began its consideration of sustainable development.

Racism — a problem everywhere in the world — was growing due to xenophobic teachings and violence, and it was the duty of States to enforce internationally recognized standards to prevent discrimination, Githu Muigai, the United Nations top expert on contemporary forms of racism and xenophobia told correspondents today at a Headquarters press conference.

As consideration of the International Law Commission’s report continued in the Sixth Committee today, the Committee also heard an address from the President of the International Court of Justice, which was then followed by an interactive dialogue with Committee members.

Noting with satisfaction the establishment of a new strategic relationship between the Russian Federation and the United States and the desire of the two to bring their nuclear postures into alignment with that new relationship, and their endeavour to reduce further the role and importance of nuclear weapons, the First Committee today approved a draft resolution welcoming the signing of the new START Treaty.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today wrapped up its debate on proposals to overhaul the management of the Organization’s global staff, as several delegates urged management to boost the ranks of employees from developing countries, while others remained unhappy with the Secretary-General’s plan for issuing continuing appointments.