General Assembly

The time had come to adopt a United Nations convention on rights of detainees, Manfred Nowak, Special Rapporteur on Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, told correspondents at Headquarters today. “In so many countries”, he said, “States are not living up to their obligations to respect the basic dignity of human beings in detention.”

Implementing the two-year-old United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples would both bring historical justice to that too-often ignored segment of humanity and develop stronger democratic, multicultural societies, the Special Rapporteur on indigenous issues told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) today began its deliberations on the report of the Special Committee on the Charter and the impact of sanctions against Member States, concerns were expressed about the effect on civilians and on third countries, which were not the intended target of the sanctions.

Another half billion people face food insecurity because of climate change, Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today during a panel discussion on “Climate change: Impacts and threats".

Rounding up its thematic debate on the disarmament aspects of outer space today, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard the introduction of two draft resolutions, on transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space, and on the prevention of an outer space arms race.

Recalling the ancient Greek tradition of the Olympic Truce -- which provided a peaceful environment for athletes and spectators during the Olympic Games -- General Assembly delegates today invoked that spirit, with their adoption of a consensus resolution urging national committees and sports organizations to promote and strengthen a culture of peace during next year’s Games.

The adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples two years ago signalled the “strong commitment” of the international community to remedy historical ills and combat the ongoing denial of rights, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press conference today.

Considering the consequences of exposure to atomic radiation on human health and the environment, delegates in the Fourth Committee today called for increased funding and resources for the Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation so that it could properly fulfil its mandate of assessing the levels, effects and emerging risks of ionizing radiation.

Capping its three-day discussion on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, members of the Third Committee (Social, Cultural and Humanitarian) discussed national programmes to nurture young citizens, saying the credibility of States “rested in their work for future generations”.

Poor borrowers in India and Bolivia committed suicide in despair over heavy debt burdens accumulated because the regulatory framework for microfinance loans was not fully developed, Thomas McInerney, Director of the Research, Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the International Development Law Organization, told the Second Committee today during a panel discussion on “Legal Empowerment of the Poor and Eradication of Poverty”.