Meetings Coverage

Since world leaders met in Copenhagen in 1995 to adopt a declaration and action programme for social change, encouraging progress had been made in promoting the inclusion of socially marginalized groups, but “daunting” challenges remained in reaching broader social development goals, Sha Zukang, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said today, as the Commission for Social Development opened its forty-eighth session.

During its 2010 regular session, which began on 25 January and ended today, the Committee on Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) considered applications submitted by 246 entities, recommending that the Economic and Social Council grant consultative status to 76 of them, while closing 19 applications.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended 13 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, postponed its consideration of 31 applications and recommended a two-year suspension for another, Interfaith International.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended one entity for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, postponed its consideration of 25 applications and closed nine without prejudice.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended eight entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and the reclassification of another, and postponed consideration of 30 applications.

Reiterating its determination to bring its full support to a credible electoral process in Côte d’Ivoire, the Security Council today approved a four-month extension of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the West African country, and boosted that Operation’s troop strength, specifically to support the organizing of a free, fair, open and transparent election, now scheduled for the end of late February or early March 2010.

Welcoming the Secretary-General’s recommendations for continued action on the political, security and recovery tracks in embattled Somalia, the Security Council today authorized the African Union to maintain its mission there ‑‑ AMISOM ‑‑ until 31 January 2011 and asked it to increase its force strength, with a view to achieving the originally mandated target of 8,000 troops thus enhancing its ability to fully carry out its mandate.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 14 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, postponed its consideration of 36 applications and closed the file on 5 others.

With Israeli-Palestinian negotiations at an “extremely worrying impasse”, due largely to simmering tensions and frequent protests in East Jerusalem, ongoing deprivation in the Gaza Strip, and an uptick in militant rocket fire into Israel, a senior United Nations political official today warned the Security Council that the effort to forge a viable Middle East peace was seriously at risk.

The Peacebuilding Commission must create closer ties with the Bretton Woods institutions in 2010, in addition to a more structured relationship with the Security Council and streamlined working methods to better and more swiftly help post-conflict countries sustain peace and development, Peter Wittig (Germany), the newly elected Chairperson of the Commission’s Organizational Committee, said today.