World leaders in the General Assembly today vowed to scale up efforts to prevent and control non‑communicable diseases, approving a draft political declaration during a high‑level meeting that commits them to providing greater policy coherence through a whole‑of‑Government approach.
General Assembly
World leaders in the General Assembly today reaffirmed their commitment to end the global tuberculosis epidemic by 2030, unanimously adopting a political declaration committing them to accelerate national and collective actions, investments and innovations in fighting the preventable disease.
With the global security environment deteriorating, nuclear weapons remain a clear threat to international peace and security, and urgent steps must be taken to resume progress on the long road to total disarmament, speakers said today at the General Assembly’s high-level plenary meeting to commemorate and promote the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
A total of 20 donors today announced contributions, or their intention to contribute, to the 2018 budget of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as officials called for stable financing for the Agency amid devastating conflicts and violence in the Middle East.
The battle against corruption was vital to the success of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, General Assembly President Miroslav Lajčák (Slovakia), told delegates today, noting that corruption stifled growth and development.
The President of the General Assembly, Miroslav Lajčák (Slovakia), will convene a high-level meeting on peacebuilding and sustaining peace on 24 and 25 April 2018 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
Speakers today called for urgent action to stop the rampant rise of xenophobia, racism and intolerance, as the General Assembly commemorated the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, observed on 21 March.
Convening for its seventy-second session amid a multilateral system overwhelmed by crises, the General Assembly heard world leaders defend diplomacy and dialogue while expressing a strong will to galvanize support to confront climate threats, resolve languishing conflicts and build a sturdy path towards sustainable development for all.
Some 20 countries pledged a total of $398.98 million at today’s United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities, reflecting a significant decrease from 2016.
On 31 May 2017, the United Nations General Assembly elected Miroslav Lajčák of Slovakia President of its seventy-second session, which runs from September 2017 to September 2018 (Press Release GA/11915).