Meetings Coverage

The General Assembly would recognize the importance of strengthening and improving operational activities for development to maximize progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, according to a draft resolution that the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus today.

Despite improvements, measures were needed to address shortcomings and increase the transparency and coherence of the Security Council’s reporting system and working methods, the General Assembly heard today as it met to consider the annual report of that body.

A sustained international focus was needed to eradicate the multitude of threats that had blighted Central Africa for years — from the security crisis in the Central African Republic, to piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, to the unrelenting terrorist threat posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army — the senior United Nations official in the region told the Security Council today.

Despite setbacks and challenges ahead, Afghanistan was a country that had risen from the ashes of war to become a nation based on a democratic constitution and the will of the people, delegates heard today as the General Assembly unanimously adopted a draft resolution on the situation in that country.

In an organizational meeting this morning, the Disarmament Commission elected the Chair for its 2014 substantive session and reviewed the proposals contained in a resolution of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), including that it hold that session from 7 to 25 April.

The successful conduct of Kosovo-wide municipal elections on 3 November was an important milestone in the implementation of an agreement governing normalization of relations between Kosovo and Serbia, the top envoy of the United Nations in Kosovo told the Security Council today.

Negotiations between Israel and Palestine had reached a “delicate” moment, and unless steps were taken to prevent the reoccurrence of negative developments, as seen in recent weeks, the chances of reaching a two-State solution could be irreparably damaged, the top United Nations political affairs official told the Security Council today.

Recognizing the positive economic and political development occurring in Myanmar, speakers called today upon the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) to discontinue future action on the relevant draft resolution, as it took action on four country-specific texts.

While continuing violence and human rights violations continued to impede progress in South Sudan amid the State’s struggle to establish and extend its authority, recent developments gave reason for “cautious optimism”, the senior United Nations official in that country told the Security Council in a briefing today.

Reiterating its condemnation of all acts of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, the Security Council today renewed for another year authorizations, first agreed in 2008, for international action to fight those crimes in cooperation with Government authorities.