Meetings Coverage

With more than a billion hungry people around the world now facing increasingly unstable food prices, collective will was needed to end excessive market speculation in food and other commodities, experts emphasized today as the General Assembly took stock of the “human tragedy” disproportionately affecting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable.

Following the completion of the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from Iraq at the end of 2011, it was critical for the United Nations to continue comprehensive assistance in the areas of political facilitation, electoral support, human rights, reconstruction and development, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council this morning.

Acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the General Assembly this afternoon adopted a resolution advocating for a culture of accountability throughout the United Nations system, while affirming the need for the Assembly’s prior approval for any changes to the Secretariat’s overall departmental structure and programme budget.

The Security Council today called on the Syrian Government to follow through on its pledge to pull back its military from population centres by 10 April, and on all parties subsequently to cease armed violence, while signalling its readiness to authorize a monitoring mission to the strife-torn country — or to “consider further steps” if the commitments were not met.

The United Nations Disarmament Commission reached an agreement on a provisional agenda for the work of its 2012 substantive session today, ending a three-day-long stalemate that some feared would jeopardize the body’s ability to continue its work.

Strongly condemning assaults by rebels in northern Mali and the seizure of power in the capital by elements of the armed forces, the Security Council called today for the immediate restoration of constitutional rule, demanding the safe release of all detainees, as well as an end to all hostilities in the north and a peaceful resolution of all issues through dialogue.

Despite the inability of the Disarmament Commission by the close of day three of its session today to adopt a substantive agenda, it continued its general debate along with informal rounds of talks aimed at framing its item on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation in language satisfactory to all.

Top United Nations officials pressed Governments, the private sector and civil society to take coordinated and consistent measures in combating human trafficking, as they gathered today for a General Assembly interactive dialogue on defeating a scourge that had trapped an estimated 2.4 million people worldwide.

With its upcoming annual high-level session set to tackle the ongoing jobs crisis, the Economic and Social Council today convened an expert preparatory meeting to address the growing global demand for more — and better — jobs, and to weigh policy options that might better align education and training with current employment demands.

Eager to begin its work in earnest today, the United Nations Disarmament Commission opened its general debate segment without agreement on the substantive aspects of its agenda, following two days of intensive discussion aimed at bridging positions and organizing priorities on a formulation acceptable to all.