The Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its discussion of the first cluster of topics from the International Law Commission’s annual report today, with statements centring on the nature of States as legal entities — be that in the context of their continuity amidst rising seas, or their ability to effectively conduct their affairs by guaranteeing certain immunities to officials acting on their behalf.
The inherent right to self-defence should “never be misconstrued as a free pass to commit atrocities, war crimes and crimes against humanity”, the representative of Myanmar told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today in its thematic debate on conventional weapons.
“The promise of artificial intelligence (AI) must not blind us to its limitations and potential risks,” an educational rights expert warned the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it also heard reports on cultural rights, freedom of religion, extreme poverty and other topics.
The General Assembly today, amidst several demands, called for increased funding for the operations of the International Court of Justice, as it debated pressing legal issues worldwide.
Women remain starkly under-represented from peace talks and conflict resolution efforts, including in some of today’s most intractable conflicts, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told the Security Council today, opening its annual day-long open debate on women, peace and security.
Highlighting a sharp rise in the proliferation and use of armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) on behalf of the Core Group of countries, the delegate for Portugal told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) that recent developments regarding their manufacturing with commercial parts and components pose several ethical, humanitarian and legal challenges related to responsibility and accountability.
Troubled by the ongoing liquidity crisis impeding the United Nations’ ability to deliver on its mandates, delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today emphasized that Member States’ timely payments of assessed contributions to the regular budget is crucial. Delegates voiced their displeasure that Member States with the highest arrears have aggravated the Organization’s financial situation, noting that there are about $1.5 billion in unpaid regular budget assessments at the end of the third quarter, the highest amount in four years.
While there has been some recent momentum stemming from the dialogue between the Government and armed groups, the Central African Republic needs a recommitment to positive energy ahead of its elections set for 2025, several United Nations officials told the Security Council today.
Continuing their debate on the first cluster of topics from the International Law Commission’s annual report, speakers in the Sixth Committee (Legal) today weighed in on how international law should address novel topics — such as how rising sea levels will affect the rights of States submerged — and complex ones, such as how to uphold immunity while avoiding impunity.
Acting without a vote, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved a draft resolution on the University for Peace today, with delegates commending the University’s commitment to the education of women in peace and its contributions to promoting the culture of peace.
