The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved 15 draft resolutions today, expressing itself on the rights of children and advancement of women, as well as on the protection of refugees in Africa and the implementation of minimum accessibility standards for persons with disabilities, among other topics.
Delegates extolled the long overdue urgency of creating a nuclear‑weapon‑free zone in the Middle East today to quell chronic regional tensions and build an inclusive foundation of peace and security, as the inaugural Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction opened at Headquarters today, without the participation of Israel and the United States.
Growing foreign involvement in Libya must be stopped as the toll of civilian casualties rises and diplomats “race against time” to convene an international conference as a bridge to intra-Libyan talks, reach a peaceful solution and spare many lives, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council today.
Through a recorded vote, the Security Council today renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts for the sanctions regime on Somalia until 15 December 2020, while also extending exemptions for the arms embargo and enforcement authorizations for the ban on illicit trade.
In a day of intense action, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved 12 draft resolutions, including three on the broad theme of migration flows, touching on refugees, protection of migrants and human trafficking.
Completing its work for the main part of the General Assembly’s seventy-fourth session today, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved eight draft resolutions concerning Israeli practices in the occupied Arab territories and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and a draft decision on its work programme for the next session.
The Security Council today decided unanimously to extend the mandate of its Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic for one year, outlining a range of priority tasks, including supporting the country’s Peace Agreement, preparing for elections and protecting civilians amid continued attacks by armed groups.
The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 May 2020, specifying “measurable progress” in border issues needed from Sudan and South Sudan before that date.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today introduced 26 draft resolutions and approved six, two by recorded vote, including one demanding that Israel end its occupation of the Palestinian Territory and the Syrian Golan.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved five draft resolutions today, all of which focused on country-specific situations and were subject to lively and contentious debate.
