Meetings Coverage

World leaders appealed to the United Nations to facilitate resolutions to longstanding disputes, human displacement, and climate disaster, as the General Assembly continued its general debate today.

The issue of vaccine equity animated day three of the General Assembly’s annual general debate today, with leaders from nations large and small hailing the development of COVID-19 vaccines as a testament to human ingenuity, as well as pointing to the vast fissure between the haves and have nots in their availability and rollout.

Amid clarion calls for bolder action to prevent the worst outcomes of the climate crisis, speakers in a high‑level Security Council debate diverged today on how best to address the phenomenon’s intersection with global security, as several delegations advocated for urgent changes to the 15‑member organ’s work.

World leaders, gathering at United Nations Headquarters today, vowed to accelerate the fight against racism in their respective countries, also renewing their commitment to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action – a landmark anti‑discrimination framework adopted 20 years ago.

Developing countries are suffering the brutal economic effects of COVID-19 disproportionately and require more comprehensive financing assistance in the wake of the pandemic, the General Assembly heard today as it continued its general debate with in-person and pre-recorded video messages from 29 Heads of State and Government.

Secretary-General António Guterres issued a wake-up call that the world is on the edge of an abyss and “moving in the wrong direction”, as he called on leaders gathered for the annual General Assembly high-level debate today to urgently restore trust and act in unison to tackle myriad challenges.

The General Assembly today adopted its work programme for the seventy-sixth session, deciding to include a range of new items on its agenda, also noting that practical arrangements will still be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Security Council today decided to extend for one year the mandate of the United Nations team tasked with investigating crimes committed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Da’esh/ISIL), as well as the Special Adviser leading it, unanimously adopting a resolution to that effect (to be issued as document S/RES/2597 (2021)).

The Security Council decided today to extend until 17 March 2022 the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), as defined in its resolution 2543 (2020), and reiterated its full support to the work of the Mission and the Secretary-General’s Special Representative as the Taliban establishes their rule across the country.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations concluded its 2021 session today, approving, as orally amended, the report of its resumed session containing seven draft decisions on matters calling for action by the Economic and Social Council, among them, dates for the accreditation body’s 2022 session.