A recent election in Kosovo — characterized by high voter turnout and the victory of unconventional, opposition candidates — marked the most significant shift in the political landscape in more than a decade, the top United Nations official there told the Security Council today, while also touching on the long‑stalled deadlock between Kosovo and Serbia and a recent security incident involving two peacekeepers.
Welcoming the political transition and the launch of a countrywide peace process in Sudan, the Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the African Union‑United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) by one year, until 31 October 2020.
Warning about the increasing weaponization of outer space, delegates called today for a legally binding instrument to make up for deficiencies in the existing treaty, during a joint ad hoc meeting of the First (Disarmament and International Security) and Fourth Committees (Special Political and Decolonization).
While the world is not yet on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, there is still time for a course correction, the former President of the Economic and Social Council told the General Assembly today.
The Security Council decided today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) for 12 months, until 31 October 2020.
Amid waning trust in multilateral institutions, the International Court of Justice remains a vital force for guarding and enhancing the rule of law at the international level, the General Assembly heard today, as speakers called on all States to accept the Court’s compulsory jurisdiction and ensure it is adequately funded.
Briefers and delegations welcomed a growing strategic partnership between the African Union and the United Nations in matters of peace and security at the Security Council today, while calling for measures to bolster the effectiveness of that cooperation.
Delegates today set out their countries’ positions on a Middle East zone free of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, the subject an upcoming conference at Headquarters, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its thematic discussion on regional disarmament and security.
Some 71 million people are now displaced globally owing to conflict, violence and persecution, and the number continues to rise, Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates discussed challenges and roadblocks to building a more inclusive, equitable, and non‑discriminatory world.
Free, peaceful and transparent elections in 2020 are key to a stable future in Burundi, the Security Council heard today, as members diverged on whether the country — now emerging from its 2015 political crisis — still merits a place on the organ’s agenda.
