Despite many commodity-dependent countries underperforming in development and falling further into debt, the global economy lacks an adequate response to the crisis, a Nobel Laureate told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) and the Economic and Social Council as they met today for their annual joint meeting.
Speakers underscored the importance of upholding the Organization’s reputation by ensuring United Nations officials and experts are held accountable for crimes committed when on mission, while also highlighting the need for predeployment training and victim-centred approaches, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) took up the Secretary-General’s reports on the matter.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began its line-by-line consideration of a proposed $3.3 billion regular budget for 2024, which includes 10,334 posts and would likely swing upward after re-costing by the end of next year. Secretary-General António Guterres introduced the reports detailing the proposed 2024 figures, which make up the Organization’s fifth annual budget.
With long-overdue financial reforms and an ambitious federal budget, Iraq’s Government continues to forge progress in tackling the challenges it faces, the senior United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today, adding that more efforts are required to address its rapidly growing population’s needs.
One quarter of humanity lives in places affected by conflict, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, and, now again, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a United Nations human rights official told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, highlighting that the number of civilians killed in war operations worldwide rose by 50 per cent in 2022.
The General Assembly today elected 15 Member States to the Human Rights Council, the United Nations body responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe.
Heightened geopolitical tensions, retrenchment of a deteriorating security environment with few tangible gains, the enduring war in Ukraine and troubling events rapidly unfolding in the Middle East framed debate today in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).
Obstacles remain to realizing the full rights of Indigenous Peoples, but initiatives meant to empower them offer opportunities for social and economic growth as well as healing from past wounds, the Third Committee (Social Humanitarian, Cultural) heard today as it took up the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
As the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up more than a dozen reports relating to sustainable development today, delegates spotlighted the importance of promoting renewable, sustainable and affordable sources of energy, also calling for more support for developing and least developed countries to sustain progress.
The United Nations senior management official told delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today that the deteriorating liquidity situation of the Organization’s regular budget could persist into 2024 if the collection rates of unpaid assessments from Member States does not pick up.
