Meetings Coverage

The Economic and Social Council today began the coordination and management meetings of its 2018 session with the election of members to a number of subsidiary bodies.

Member States had “not yet moved from resolutions to lasting solutions”, when it came to addressing the scourge of sexual violence in conflict, the Security Council heard today during an all-day open debate addressing that issue.

On the heels of air strikes meant to hamper Syria’s ability to use chemical weapons, the Security Council today rejected a proposal by the Russian Federation to condemn such aggression by the United States and its allies over suspected chemical weapons use in the country, amid pressure from the Secretary-General to abide by the tenets of international law.

Continuing its 2018 substantive session, the Disarmament Commission this afternoon elected René Zelený (Czechia) as Vice-Chair by acclamation, thus filling a remaining Bureau vacancy.

The current state of chaos in the Middle East, including the conflict in Syria, had become a threat to international peace and security, Secretary-General António Guterres told the Security Council this morning, appealing to the 15‑member body to overcome divisions and prevent dangerous situations from spinning out of control.

The Security Council decided today to extend for 10 days a set of modifications to the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), which enabled the Mission to support Government efforts to normalize relations in the contested border region.

Failing to adopt a final outcome document at the end of its fifty‑first session, participants of the Commission on Population and Development expressed regret that consensus had eluded them for a second consecutive year.

Security Council members — citing multiple incidents involving the alleged use of weapons of mass destruction — vowed to redouble efforts to keep such deadly agents out of the hands of terrorists and other non-State actors, as they considered the work of the “1540 Committee” created for that purpose 14 years ago.

The Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples today approved Grenada as the host of its 2018 Pacific Regional Seminar, to be held from 9 to 11 May.

Accurate, disaggregated and updated data on population was essential for policymaking and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Commission on Population and Development heard today as it concluded its general debate.