Meetings Coverage

The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) met today for a brief organizational meeting to elect its Chair and adopt its agenda and work programme for the seventy‑second session of the General Assembly.

Strengthening coordination and coherence would be the top priority for the Office of Counter-Terrorism, the new entity’s chief said today as the Security Council took up threats to international peace and security caused by terrorism.

Continuing its high‑level meeting on human trafficking today, speakers in the General Assembly called for more tailored, effective multilateral responses to that “heinous” crime while outlining national efforts to protect its victims and prosecute perpetrators.

While there had been some progress, the situation in Syria remained fragile and highly susceptible to backsliding, the United Nations Special Envoy for the country warned today, urging both sides to assess the situation realistically and responsibly and return to Geneva talks, which he said he intended to reconvene in October.

Inputs from Governments and industry had greatly benefited the development of the new Global Aviation Security Plan, although its successful implementation would depend on the dedication and actions of State and industry operators, the Security Council heard today as it took up the threat to civil aviation by terrorist acts.

Survivors of human trafficking today recounted painful stories of kidnapping, violence and rape — often the result of criminals exploiting their hopes for a better life — as the General Assembly adopted a Political Declaration aimed at combating that brutal practice.

Against a backdrop of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, speakers in the General Assembly today emphasized the urgent need for firm political will to advance towards the total elimination of all nuclear weapons.

Despite initial progress, implementation of the peace accord in South Sudan had been disrupted, the senior United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today, as he urged members to speak in one voice in persuading all parties to lay down their arms and return to negotiations.

Progress, as well as daunting challenges and opportunities for political engagement, characterized the situation in Afghanistan, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for that country told the Security Council today.

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the United Nations General Assembly held its first meeting of the seventy-second session this afternoon to introduce the Bureau and approve the organization of its work.