The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard the introduction this afternoon of draft texts on the terms governing entitlements for United Nations employees, as well as the annual budget recosting exercise and the Organization’s programme priorities for the 2016-2017 period.
The General Assembly today, nearing completion of its work for the main part of the session, adopted three draft texts on international tribunals and on bolstering emergency humanitarian response.
The Security Council had rallied to consensus on several important issues in December, the Permanent Representative of Chad and President of that body said in a monthly wrap-up meeting, as members stressed the need to press ahead on issues and areas where they had failed to produce results.
Concerted action by the international community was needed following a Human Rights Council report on appalling, systematic abuses in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, high United Nations officials told the Security Council today, following a procedural vote of 11 in favour to 2 against (China, Russian Federation), with 2 abstentions (Chad, Nigeria) that put the situation on the body’s agenda.
During an all-day open debate presided over by the Foreign Minister of Chad, the Security Council called for international action to prevent terrorists from benefiting from transnational organized crime, through securing borders and prosecuting illicit networks.
The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of its Second Committee (Economic and Financial), today adopted 38 resolutions — seven requiring recorded votes — and five decisions on a range of issues relating to strengthening the post-2015 agenda. Those included external debt, creation of a new international economic order, the multidimensional nature of development and poverty, South-South cooperation, liberalization of world trade, promotion of new and renewable sources of energy, and problems of countries in special situations.
As negotiations between the permanent five members of the Security Council plus Germany, known as the P5+1, and Iran continued, measures imposed against that country remained in full effect and States had an obligation to implement them fully, the Chair of the 1737 Committee told the 15-member body today.
Recalling that stabilizing the security situation in the Central African Republic was the main responsibility of that country’s stakeholders, the Security Council today reiterated its appeal to the leaders of the ex-Séléka and anti-Balaka groups, among other armed groups, to “immediately and permanently” lay down their weapons, release children from their ranks and embark on a path of dialogue.
In two separate resolutions this afternoon, the Security Council decided to extend the term of office of judges of the International Tribunals handling serious crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the early 1990s, while requesting both courts to complete their work as expeditiously as possible.
Fresh from its first peaceful transfer of power from one elected leader to another, Afghanistan had made “significant” progress on its path towards a stable future, the United Nations top official in the Central Asian country told the Security Council today, encouraging the new unity Government to appoint a merit-based Cabinet, address budgetary pressures and launch its “ambitious” new programme of governance reforms.
