Plenary

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.

The General Assembly needed to be revitalized and empowered in order to meet the current global challenges and fulfil its central role, as envisaged by the United Nations Charter, General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser told that body today. More than ever, world events necessitated a strong and responsive General Assembly and it should not be restricted to being a venue for deliberation, he said.

Stressing that popular uprisings across the Middle East were demanding greater inclusiveness and democracy, General Assembly delegates called today for peace and justice — as well as “re-energized” efforts to resolve old regional conflicts — to reign across the region, as it adopted six related resolutions. By six recorded votes, the Assembly adopted resolutions on both the “Question of Palestine” and on the wider “Situation in the Middle East”.

“A historic moment is before Member States to act, to uphold their legal obligations and the United Nations Charter,” declared the Permanent Observer of Palestine today, as he challenged the General Assembly to rectify the injustice that had uprooted millions of Palestinians from their homeland and had led to nearly 65 years of Israeli occupation.

A weeks-long stalemate to elect one member of the International Court of Justice continued today as, after four votes — bringing the total number of voting rounds in the General Assembly to 11 — no candidate received the absolute majority of votes in both the Assembly and the Security Council that was required to clinch the final seat on the World Court.

The General Assembly today adopted by consensus a wide-ranging resolution aimed at nudging Afghanistan further towards an economically and politically stable future, barely two years away from the Afghan Government’s target date for assuming the lead role for the war-torn country’s security.

Strongly condemning acts of violence against diplomatic and consular missions and officials, the General Assembly today adopted, by recorded vote, a resolution deploring an alleged plot to assassinate Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to the United States, and called on Iran to cooperate in bringing those responsible for the plot to justice.

The General Assembly met today to fill vacancies on administrative and legal bodies of the United Nations, including by voting to elect members of the International Law Commission. Voting by way of secret ballot, the Assembly elected a total of 34 members of the International Law Commission — a body devoted to the promotion of the development and codification of international law — to serve five‑year terms of office beginning on 1 January 2012.

As deterrents of war crimes and guards against the “baser” aspects of human nature, the International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia had had a far‑reaching impact over the course of their lifespan, said General Assembly delegates in a joint debate today.

The General Assembly today elected four judges from an initial pool of eight candidates to the International Court of Justice for terms of nine years beginning 6 February 2012. A fifth vacancy remained open following seven rounds of voting. The Assembly sent three current judges, Hisashi Owada (Japan), Xue Hanqin (China) and Peter Tomka (Slovakia) back to their posts in The Hague by re-electing them, while choosing a single new justice, Giorgio Gaja (Italy).