Meetings Coverage

The General Assembly would stress the importance of continuing to consider the issue of development cooperation with middle-income countries, according to one of six draft resolutions that the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus today.

In the face of the increasingly devastating scourge of climate change and a global financial crisis that demanded the smarter use of natural resources, delegates in the General Assembly stressed today that urgent action was needed in efforts to sustainably manage the world oceans and marine ecosystems.

Concerned at the potential use of the Eritrean mining sector as a financial source to destabilize the Horn of Africa region, the Security Council today reinforced the sanctions regime on that country to prevent mining funds from contributing to its continued violations of those measures. Adopting resolution 2023 (2011) by a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions (China, Russian Federation), it demanded that Eritrea cease all direct or indirect efforts to destabilize States.

Marking the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteerism, the General Assembly today showcased the diversity, breadth and depth of volunteering worldwide, with United Nations officials, diplomats and volunteers themselves hailing volunteerism as “one of the clearest expressions of solidarity in action”.

Resuming its 2011 substantive session, the Economic and Social Council today adopted two draft texts, including one on small island developing States, and filled vacancies on seven subsidiary bodies, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women).

Stressing the importance of continued United Nations support for Libya’s transitional Government in addressing immediate priorities, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 16 March 2012.

The General Assembly would stress the need for active measures to reduce excessive food-price volatility, while acknowledging the incomplete understanding of its causes and the importance of carrying out more research, according to one of five draft resolutions that the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) approved by consensus today.

Stressing the need for the Secretary-General to make every effort to ensure that technical and logistical support is provided for elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in full and on time, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today asked the General Assembly to appropriate $69.56 million to the Special Account for the United Nations Mission in that country.

The General Assembly met this afternoon to consider ways to improve the on-the-ground effectiveness of the United Nations and ensure that the Organization delivered on two decades’ worth of development commitments, with delegations focusing on ways to strengthen civilian capacity in the aftermath of conflict and following-up the historic Millennium Summit.

On the recommendation of its First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), where concern over the paralysis in the United Nations disarmament machinery and the resulting negotiating impasse on key issues had informed much of the session’s debate, the General Assembly today adopted 47 resolutions and five decisions in its ongoing effort to temper national positions with a more flexible approach to revitalizing the multilateral disarmament process.