Delegates stressed the need to address barriers to women’s human rights and empowerment, including female genital mutilation, obstetric fistula, gaps in female political representation and limited access to economic production, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its debate today on the advancement of women.
In progress at UNHQ
Third Committee
Attempts to control what women and girls say, think and wear as well as to deny women access to sexual and reproductive rights are on the rise, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today, as it commenced its debate on the advancement of women.
The ramping up of globalized digitization in an increasingly unstable world fraught with crises provides opportunities for trafficking of drugs and persons as well as terrorism, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today during its debate on crime, information and technologies and drugs.
As the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its general debate today on social development, youth delegates, describing the issues they encountered in everyday life and the future they were facing, challenged the lack of robust political representation and called for young people’s right to participate fully and actively in decision-making processes, both at the national and international level.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) opened its seventy‑seventh session today, with the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, a resurgence of conflicts and the climate emergency driving its general discussion, as delegates emphasized that colliding crises have reversed progress, exacerbated inequalities and impacted social development.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) elected José A. Blanco Conde (Dominican Republic) Chair on 7 June.
The General Assembly adopted 59 resolutions and one decision recommended by its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, covering a range of issues, from the rights of refugees and others forced to flee their homes, to the provision of universal and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) sent 10 draft resolutions to the General Assembly as it concluded its work today, culminating in a heated discussion over language on diversity, sexual orientation and gender identity in a draft related to elections, after sparring on other texts that referenced sexual and reproductive health and rights.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved six draft resolutions today, five of which focused on country-specific situations, while the last drew attention to the precarious conditions of refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) approved 13 draft resolutions today amid heated discussions on migrants and the elimination of racism in the context of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.