Acting on the recommendations of its General Committee, the General Assembly this morning adopted the work programme and agenda for its seventy-first session, which contained 173 items, and endorsed the recommendation that its general debate be held from 20 to 24 September 2016.
The General Assembly today adopted a consensus resolution outlining a number of “milestone” reforms to reinvigorate its work as it moved into its eighth decade, notably to improve the transparency and accountability of its President’s Office.
The seventy-first session of the General Assembly opened today, with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressing that over the next 12 months, Member States would be called on to address many threats and show solidarity with people facing injustice around the world.
The General Assembly concluded its seventieth session today, with the outgoing President encouraging the 193-member body to continue the progress initiated during his tenure towards greater effectiveness and relevance, as he formally handed over his gavel to the President-elect of the seventy-first session.
The General Assembly adopted a consensus resolution today deciding to transmit the “New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants” to its seventy-first session, paving the way for its adoption by Heads of State and Government at the 19 September United Nations Summit for Refugees and Migrants.
Trust, confidence and respect that United Nations peacekeepers had earned over decades must not be eroded by the actions of a few, the General Assembly heard today at the meeting on sexual exploitation and abuse, with speakers calling to address the issue in a decisive and sustained manner.
The General Assembly decided today that the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development — mandated to coordinate the follow-up to and review of global sustainable development commitments — would spend the next three years focusing on a range of specific themes and targets, ranging from eradicating poverty to building resilience to empowering communities.
Taking consensus action today, the General Assembly adopted an oral decision paving the way for Member States to continue discussions on reforming the Security Council during its seventy-first session.
Taking consensus action on a range of draft resolutions today, the General Assembly, decided to convene a high-level meeting on antimicrobial resistance, proclaimed the period 2016-2025 as the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa, and approved an agreement institutionalizing the relationship between the United Nations and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
While creating institutions to promote and protect human rights and ratifying conventions were important, the true test lay in actions, the General Assembly heard today as it concluded its two-day high-level thematic debate, titled “UN@70 – Human rights at the centre of the global agenda”.
