As the First Committee’s session drew to a close, its Chair, Courtenay Rattray of Jamaica, commended the positive and constructive tone of discussions despite the persistence of divergent views, with delegations according priority attention to the world’s deadliest weapon of mass destruction and the most lethal and indiscriminate of all, nuclear weapons.
Underscoring the increasing number, complexity and significance of special political missions, speakers at the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today sought ways of enhancing the effectiveness of those operations, as they undertook a comprehensive review of the mechanism.
Emerging trends, racism and a lack of accountability for racist acts continued to occur worldwide despite protection guarantees rooted in international laws, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today during its consideration of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, and the right to self-determination.
Introducing the third and final cluster of topics from the International Law Commission’s annual report, its Chair presented to the Sixth Committee (Legal) today a detailed summary of the diverse and extensive work done on each issue.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved a draft resolution noting several remaining actions to be taken in the context of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), including destruction of chemical weapons removed from Syrian territory and of the 12 remaining declared production facilities, as well as inspections of the remaining declared sites.
The General Assembly today reaffirmed its strong support for the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in fostering the development and practical application of atomic energy for peaceful uses, including in transferring technology to developing countries and in nuclear safety, verification and security, as it considered the nuclear monitoring body’s 2013 report.
Before approving three draft resolutions without a vote today, the Sixth Committee (Legal) heard the President of the International Court of Justice address select aspects of evidentiary practices of the United Nations principal judicial organ, in addition to continuing its deliberations on the International Law Commission’s report.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) forwarded 28 drafts to the General Assembly today on a broad range of items, from the effects of armaments containing depleted uranium, developments in the field of information and telecommunications, the Hague Code of Conduct against ballistic missile proliferation, and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).
As the General Assembly concluded its debate today on the reports of the International Criminal Court, delegates alternatively praised its effectiveness in prosecuting crimes against humanity and criticized what they viewed as its partiality.
General agreement on the timeliness of the Secretary-General’s proposed high-level review of peacekeeping operations emerged in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today, as speakers, concluding their annual comprehensive review of the subject, stressed a need to preserve traditional guiding principles while retooling missions to address new challenges.
