During its resumed tenth emergency special session, the General Assembly adopted a resolution that — as of 10 September 2024 — upgrades Palestine’s rights at the United Nations as an observer State, urging the Security Council to favourably consider its full membership.
In progress at UNHQ
Meetings Coverage
The United Nations senior management official told delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today that the United Nations 2024 regular budget has the potential to be “as bad or worse” than year-end 2023 unless collections significantly exceed the average of the last five years.
Discussions on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to address climate change took centre stage at a United Nations forum today, with speakers urging that investment in such technology should be more focused on solving global problems.
Political progress to resolve the final status of Abyei and issues related to the border between Sudan and South Sudan remains stalled since the outbreak of war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces in April 2023, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today, also spotlighting continuing intercommunal violence that caused the death of more than 60 people — including two UN peacekeepers — in January and February.
The representative of Mali called for the necessary resources to ensure the stabilization mission in his country can liquidate its operations on schedule by year’s end, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today examined the proposed 2024/25 budgets for that mission as well as two other peacekeeping operations and their logistics and support entities.
In a world racked by increasing conflict and distrust among nations, three world leaders told the General Assembly today that a robust multilateralism system led by the United Nations is more needed than ever.
With the sharp escalation of threats to security in and from outer space, a legally binding agreement to preserve its peaceful nature is pivotal, speakers told the General Assembly today, in a meeting sparked by a veto cast by the Russian Federation, blocking a draft resolution on 24 April that aimed to prevent an arms race in outer space in all its aspects, including through the obligation not to place in Earth’s orbit any objects carrying weapons of mass destruction.
As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) began the second part of its resume session today to consider a proposed $5.7 billion budget for nearly a dozen peacekeeping missions around the globe from 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, delegates stressed the need for careful management of the Organization’s resources during a period of ongoing financial constraint.
The Commission on Population and Development concluded its 2024 annual session today, highlighting its main outcome — the adoption on 29 April of a political declaration to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the landmark Programme of Action on Population and Development.
As speakers discussed the importance of collective efforts to promote a culture of peace in a world torn by conflict and crisis, the General Assembly today adopted a draft resolution in pursuit of that goal, in addition to draft texts on a variety of other topics.