Meetings Coverage

The world was not only watching the destruction of a country, but also that of a people, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs said today of the crisis in Syria, stressing in a briefing to the Security Council that the statistics “hide an unfolding humanitarian tragedy”.

Amid continuing doubts about the uniquely civilian character of Iran’s nuclear programme, the Security Council heard a briefing today by the Chairman of its 1737 Sanctions Committee, who reported that members were divided over whether recent ballistic missile launches were in violation of Council resolution 1929 (2010).

The time had come to move away from “constructive” to “transformative” dialogue between civil society and Member States on the issue of international migration and development, according to non-governmental organization representatives who addressed the General Assembly today.

By shooting her and her friends, “the terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died; strength, power and courage were born”, Malala Yousafzai said today, during a Headquarters celebration of her sixteenth birthday as part of the United Nations Youth Takeover event.

Underscoring the role of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan in protecting civilians, improving security and supporting peacebuilding efforts, the Security Council today decided to renew its mandate until 15 July 2014, authorizing it to use all necessary means to carry out its protection mandate.

West Africa had continued to face multiple political and security challenges, including elections-related tensions, transnational organized crime, piracy and terrorism, the United Nations envoy for the region told the Security Council today.

As the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon’s stability “becomes more and more apparent”, the Security Council today expressed deep concern at the growing involvement of Lebanese parties and called on them to recommit to the policy of dissociation and to step back from any involvement in the neighbouring crisis, consistent with the Baabda Declaration of June 2012 aimed at safeguarding Lebanon.

The General Assembly this morning adopted two resolutions by consensus ‑ the first outlining the format and organizational aspects of a High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to replace the Commission on Sustainable Development, as mandated by the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last year, and the second reaffirming the role of the United Nations in global economic governance.

Despite inter-communal violence and insecurity in the populous north-eastern State of Jonglei, South Sudan had made significant strides towards consolidating peace, creating an effective police force and establishing the rule of law, the senior United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today.

Stark disparities and widening gaps between the world’s rich and poor were a “reproach to the promise of the United Nations Charter”, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the General Assembly today during a thematic debate on inequality.