Meetings Coverage

The Economic and Social Council adopted, without a vote, five draft decisions on dates and themes of upcoming high-level meetings.

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) discussed the use of more flexible and open workplace at the United Nations, delegates raised concerns about upwardly revised cost estimates for the now $65.7 million project, and that an assessment of its impact on productivity and staff well-being had not been finalized.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon called upon Governments, businesses and others around the world to step up efforts for gender equality, as he opened the sixtieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women which, over two weeks, will underscore the crucial role of women in implementing and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Concluding its 2016 session, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations adopted without a vote today the draft report of the session, laying out the proposals, recommendations and conclusions submitted by its Working Group of the Whole on a wide range of peacekeeping issues.

The Security Council, expressing its deep concern over allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeepers, today asked the Secretary-General to replace all military or police units from any contributing country that had failed to hold perpetrators accountable.

Briefing the Security Council today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon laid out a number of steps to address “the shameful issue” of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers, amid disagreement over a draft resolution aimed at addressing the matter.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved a draft resolution supporting the Board of Auditors’ recommendations concerning the renovation of the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva and the Organization’s handling of information and communications technology affairs.

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) considered the topic of accountability today in its review of the Organization’s efficiency in administrative and financial functioning, speakers welcomed achievements and acknowledged areas where further progress was needed.

The United Nations must uphold the very international labour practices it supported by ensuring that those working within the system were fairly treated and compensated during and after their service, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard today during its consideration of a range of human resources issues.

The United Nations humanitarian chief, in a briefing to the Security Council, called today for greater international pressure on the parties to the conflict in Yemen in order to better protect civilians, facilitate relief access to all parts of the country, and encourage the resumption of peace talks and a cessation of hostilities.