Impoverished children and those displaced by conflict or climate change continue to bear the brunt of post-pandemic economic crises and global conflicts, speakers told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it took up the rights of children.
Underscoring the need to uphold the rule of law when introducing measures to respond to global emergencies or incorporating new technology into justice systems, speakers warned of the potential to erode human rights and fundamental freedoms, as the Sixth Committee continued its debate on the rule of law at the national and international levels today.
Petitioners on the long-standing question of Western Sahara addressed the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) for a second day today, with their statements reflecting opposing stances on Morocco’s claim of sovereignty over the Non-Self-Governing Territory.
The world is in the midst of multidimensional macroeconomic crises and urgently requires reform of the international financial system to ensure COVID‑19 recovery and sustainable development, United Nations experts and Member States warned today as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up the issue.
Delegates stressed the need to address barriers to women’s human rights and empowerment, including female genital mutilation, obstetric fistula, gaps in female political representation and limited access to economic production, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its debate today on the advancement of women.
Speakers underscored the importance of international cooperation in ensuring criminal accountability of United Nations officials and experts on mission, while also highlighting pre-deployment training and the role of women peacekeepers in preventing acts of sexual exploitation and abuse, as the Sixth Committee took up the Secretary-General’s reports on the matter.
It was deeply disturbing that nuclear-weapon States and States under extended nuclear‑deterrence guarantees had increased the salience of nuclear weapons in their security and nuclear doctrines, policies and postures, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as it continued its general debate.
The persistent question of Western Sahara took centre stage in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today as petitioners from both sides presented differing positions regarding that Non-Self-Governing Territory’s relationship with Morocco.
A holistic approach, combining enhanced regulatory policies and law enforcement mechanisms, greater supply chain transparency, support for counter‑terrorism frameworks, as well as cross-border coordination and information-sharing, is required to clamp down on the illicit trafficking of natural resources and its fuelling of terrorism and violent extremism by armed groups and terrorists in African continent, speakers said during a debate on the issue, one of the signature events of Gabon’s presidency.
The ballistic missile launch of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 4 October was a reckless act and a clear violation of Security Council resolutions, a United Nations senior political and peacebuilding official told the Security Council today, as members demanded that Pyongyang refrain from further provocations, engage in meaningful dialogue and halt its nuclear and missiles programmes.
