Political leadership, along with sustainable financing from the international community, are needed to create safer roads, save lives and help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), General Assembly delegates agreed during the conclusion of a two-day high-level meeting on global road safety, in which 80 delegations participated and three multi-stakeholder panels were held.
Adopting a sweeping political declaration on global road safety, the General Assembly today committed to a range of actions aimed at reducing road traffic deaths — 90 per cent of which occur in the world’s low- and middle-income countries — by at least 50 per cent by the year 2030.
The General Assembly, following on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), funded 11 United Nations peacekeeping operations with a budget of $6.45 billion this evening.
While highlighting various ways to build inclusive societies and prevent atrocities, speakers stressed that the international community has failed to translate the responsibility to protect into reality, as the General Assembly concluded its first annual debate on the principle.
Member States’ commitment to uphold the responsibility to protect its populations, in particular children and youth, from crimes of atrocity, must be centred in prevention in order to make the principle a living reality, speakers stressed, as the General Assembly today held its first annual debate on the topic.
Welcoming actions by the Inter-Parliamentary Union to continue pursuing more systematic, meaningful engagement with the United Nations, the General Assembly today encouraged both organizations to enhance their cooperation in meeting common aims across the three dimensions of sustainable development.
Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the General Assembly’s adoption of a resolution on the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, in New York today:
To a burst of applause, the General Assembly proclaimed 24 June of each year the International Day of Women in Diplomacy, adopting by consensus a resolution today reaffirming that the participation of women, on equal terms with men, at all levels of decision-making is essential to the achievement of sustainable development, peace and democracy.
The General Assembly remains unable to complete the election of members to the Economic and Social Council to replace those whose terms are expiring on 31 December.
Spotlighting the strong connection between multilingualism and multilateralism, delegates in the General Assembly today adopted a resolution reaffirming the equality of the six official languages of the United Nations and urging the Organization to ensure parity among them in its communications and publications.
