Meetings Coverage

Against a grim backdrop plagued by a rising frequency and severity of climate change impacts and continued bloodshed and violence in conflict-affected States, capacity-building efforts and enhanced cooperation must be priorities in shaping the world’s humanitarian response strategies, delegates heard today as the General Assembly unanimously adopted a package of five resolutions. Doing so, the Assembly concluded its joint debate on that subject and on assistance to Rwandan genocide survivors.

Iran’s attempted procurement of carbon fibre was a violation of its obligations under resolution 1929 (2010), as well as other resolutions, the Chair of Security Council Committee charged with monitoring sanctions on that country said today, as he briefed members on its latest report.

Considering the situation in the Sahel today, the Security Council reaffirmed its continued commitment to address the complex security and political challenges in that region, which were interrelated with humanitarian and developmental issues, as well as the adverse effects of climate and ecological changes.

Recognizing the multitude of humanitarian crises that had occurred worldwide this year and the emergency responses they had sparked, the General Assembly considered a number of resolutions today, including one aimed at strengthening the coordination of United Nations assistance.

Crimes in the Darfur region of Sudan would not stop unless the Security Council and parties to the Rome Statute showed robust determination to apprehend their authors, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said today, imploring the 15-member body to press Sudanese authorities to arrest and surrender persons against whom arrest warrants had been issued.

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) concluded its work today as it approved 10 draft resolutions that will soon go before the General Assembly.

A mix of consensus and recorded votes characterized the General Assembly’s consideration today of Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) drafts, which culminated in the adoption of 29 resolutions and decisions, including a new one on special political missions and a range of texts on, among others, the Palestine refugee agency, effects of atomic radiation, and national legislation relevant to the peaceful exploration and use of outer space.

After 22 years of conflict, the people of Somalia were not only ready, but desperate to rise to the challenge of building strong State institutions, the senior United Nations official in that country said in a briefing to the Security Council today.

The Security Council today renewed and adjusted the arms embargo it originally imposed on Liberia in 2003, deciding that notification for the provision of non-lethal materials and associated training was no longer required.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today took stock of the financing requirements for the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia, as it heard Secretariat officials shed light on progress in completing those bodies’ work and the transferring of their functions to a residual mechanism.