Confrontation and politically motivated country-specific resolutions undermined the dialogue and cooperation between States and hampered the improvement of human rights, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as it took action on a package of draft resolutions ranging from situation reports of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran and Syria to the elimination of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
By one of three draft resolutions the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved today, the General Assembly would welcome the peaceful and competitive conduct of the elections held in Myanmar on 8 November 2015, but express serious concern over political disenfranchisement and the disqualification of candidates from the Rohingya community and religious and ethnic minorities.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today rejected one text and sent another six draft resolutions to the General Assembly, among them a draft that would have the world body urge States not to return a person to another State if he or she faced risks of being subjected to torture and to ensure that border control operations and reception centres fully complied with human rights.
As the Human Rights Council was moving into its tenth year, its record had testified to a high level of responsiveness while it continued to be actively engaged in cases of urgent and chronic violations, that body’s president told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today while presenting its annual report during an interactive dialogue the preceded a general discussion.
A draft resolution that would see the General Assembly address the global refugee crisis and the role of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was among four texts approved today without a vote by the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this afternoon to hear the introduction of four draft resolutions relating to a centre in Central Africa, Nazism, the right of the Palestinian People to self-determination and the situation in Syria, with the latter triggering comments from some speakers opposed to country-specific texts.
Trafficking and targeted violations against women, indigenous peoples and other groups were among the national, regional and global concerns delegates raised as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights, introduced 14 draft resolutions and approved, without a vote, 6 texts on issues ranging from counter-terrorism to efforts to end gender-based violence.
Overstretched resources, critical funding shortages and desperate conditions were among the accounts delegates shared to describe some of the grim consequences of the greatest crisis of forced displacement since the Second World War as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today concluded its discussions on refugees and displaced persons and continued consideration of the promotion and protection of human rights.
Until donors ramped up contributions, humanitarian actors were no longer able to provide core assistance to the record number of displaced people worldwide, the head of the United Nations refugee agency told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today as it concluded discussions on racism and began consideration of humanitarian questions.
States needed to develop necessary legislative and policy mechanisms in accordance with international laws to tackle challenges including foreign fighters and Nazism, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as it began consideration of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and of the right to self-determination with a series of interactive dialogues with top officials.
