Support from the United Nations and its regional partners in Africa is crucial to addressing the root causes of conflict and galvanizing locally-owned, women-led peace efforts, the Security Council heard today during a far-reaching debate on the role of preventive diplomacy across the continent.
Women’s rights are under renewed attack, while gender-based violence remains deeply embedded in structural inequalities, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today, as it began its debate on the advancement of women.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved today its work programme for the seventy‑fourth session of the General Assembly, covering the decolonization of the 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories, peacekeeping operations, the plight of Palestine refugees and Israel’s practices affecting the human rights of Palestinians and other Arabs in the occupied territories, among several other agenda items.
Condemning all acts of migrant smuggling and human trafficking off the coast of Libya, the Security Council today renewed for a further year its authorization for Member States to inspect vessels in the area, when there are reasonable grounds to believe they are participating in the illicit activities.
The proliferation of new technology complicates the fight against transnational organized crime, especially illicit drug trafficking and cybercrime, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today during their annual debate on crime prevention, cybersecurity and international drug control.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met today in an organizational meeting but refrained from adopting its agenda and programme of work for the seventy-fourth session of the General Assembly after the Russian Federation protested the refusal by the United States, the host country, to issue visas to members of its delegation.
The Security Council heard updates today on the work of its Sudan sanctions committee, relating to ongoing localized security incidents and shifting regional dynamics that followed recent developments in Khartoum.
Despite recent advances in governance and regional cooperation in the Great Lakes, insecurity and human rights abuses, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, still require urgent attention, the Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy for the region told the Security Council today.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its debate on social development today, with youth delegates demanding greater access to education and job opportunities, as well as a voice in decisions that will help them overcome entrenched marginalization.
Youth activists from Africa, sharing stories of hardship and determination and of choosing peace over conflict, called for the engagement and inclusion of millions of their peers in building a fairer, more peaceful future on the continent, as the Security Council today debated how to mobilize young people towards the African Union initiative “Silencing the Guns by 2020”.
