States must urgently respond to a fast-growing global refugee crisis through concrete actions, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today, as delegates shared problems and best practices during an interactive dialogue and general debate on refugees and displacement.
Senior United Nations officials today highlighted the need to improve the safety, security and mental health of peacekeepers while also ensuring accountability, improving strategic communications in the field and bolstering the participation of women, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its general debate of all aspects of peacekeeping operations.
Delegates voiced sharp differences today about the work of the Human Rights Council as the General Assembly took up the intergovernmental body’s annual report. While some praised its efforts over the past year to curb human rights violations through the creation of special mechanisms and emergency sessions, other delegates said the Geneva-based intergovernmental body applies double standards that ignore their impact on developing countries.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved a wide-ranging draft resolution, entitled “Steps to building a common road map towards a world without nuclear weapons”, which drew extensive debate and 18 separate recorded votes for approval.
Children of African descent are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates engaged in a series of interactive dialogues on the link between systemic racism and the global ecological crisis, elimination of contemporary forms of racism and the right of people to self-determination.
The Government of Belarus’ deliberate diversion of Ryanair Flight 4978 under the false pretext of a bomb threat is an act of unlawful interference that deliberately endangered the safety and security of the flight and the lives of those on board, Salvatore Sciacchitano, President of the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), told the Security Council today, citing the report of the agency and the work of its fact-finding investigation team.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), acting without a vote, approved two draft resolutions on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space, including one that would have the General Assembly urge Member States to work towards averting an arms race in space while also paying more attention to the danger of space objects colliding.
Delegates today commended the work of the International Criminal Court as the body marks 20 years since its inception, with many speakers emphasizing that the mechanism’s expanding workload requires resources and support from Member States in order to fulfil its mandate.
The Russian Federation’s decision to temporarily suspend its participation in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, due to alleged attacks against its ships, risks causing spikes in food and fertilizer prices and disproportionately impacting developing countries, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today, as delegates urged all parties to work towards resuming shipments and extending the agreement.
Following the Secretary-General’s strategic review of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the Security Council today extended until 31 October 2023 the Mission’s mandate and tasks, as set out in resolutions 2158 (2014) and 2592 (2021), as Council members condemned the terrorist attack two days ago in Mogadishu.
