General Assembly

Concluding its thematic debate this afternoon on nuclear weapons, the Disarmament Committee heard the introduction of related draft texts on a convention banning nuclear weapons use, reducing nuclear danger, preventing terrorists from acquiring weapons of mass destruction, the Bangkok Treaty, and on the follow-up to nuclear disarmament obligations flowing from the 1995 and 2000 Review Conferences of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In one round of voting, the General Assembly today elected Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Gabon, Lebanon and Nigeria to serve as five non-permanent members of the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2010. They will fill seats to be vacated by Burkina Faso, Costa Rica, Croatia, Libya and Viet Nam. Meanwhile, Austria, Japan, Mexico, Turkey and Uganda will continue to serve as elected Council members during 2010, for the second year of their respective terms.

Informing a world audience about the story of the United Nations required correcting the imbalances of information between developed and developing countries, for which the United Nations Information Centres -- the hosting of which was a “sign of distinction” –- played a crucial part, the Fourth Committee heard today.

Violence against children, and ways to stem that violence, figured prominently in a discussion between Member States and United Nations officials from the field of child rights, at the start of a multi-day discussion on the promotion and protection of the rights of children convened by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).

The Sixth Committee (Legal) met today to address the issue of the development of the rule of law at national and international levels. Although there were reports of progress in many areas, concerns of an inequality in adherence to desired standards were also expressed. The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General said the complex field of rule of law was central to achieving the vision of the United Nations of a just, secure, peaceful world.

Criticizing funding for development activities as inadequate and too unpredictable, several speakers this afternoon called for a smooth incoming flow of cash and more balance between funding levels for core and non-care activities, as the Second Committee took up its agenda item on operational activities for development.

Establishing an international day to raise awareness of the deadly dangers of nuclear weapons would be a step towards the noble goal of the complete elimination of those weapons, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today, as two related draft resolutions were introduced and a decision was announced to hold back a third.

Emphasizing that the future of the United Nations depended on a joint vision and shared responsibilities, the Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, Kiyo Akasaka, told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today that the Department of Public Information “stands ready” to contribute to the achievement of the Organization’s goals by building understanding and support for the Organization among the peoples of the world.

In promoting women’s empowerment it was critical that the international community systematically link women to the development agenda, speakers told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it continued its discussion on the advancement of women.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) this morning addressed the issue of criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on missions, the debate centred on impunity, language regarding scope of accountability and the need for an international convention.