Meetings Coverage

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.

The Palestinian Rights Committee today approved four draft resolutions relating to the question of Palestine, as it considered the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly with regard to Israel’s recent settlement activities.

With the approval of two draft resolutions today, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) endorsed the Board of Auditors’ scrutiny of the Organization’s 2012 financial statements and backed the oversight work of the Office of Internal Oversight Services.

An almost evenly divided Security Council, lacking the requisite nine affirmative votes, today failed to adopt a resolution seeking a one-year delay in International Criminal Court proceedings against the President and Deputy President of Kenya.