Meetings Coverage

Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) meeting today urged the Secretariat to uphold its commitment to a strong accountability system, a core component of the Organization’s effective management reform.

​​​​​​​DOHA, 8 March — Efforts to mobilize domestic resources, increase Government revenues, promote investment and fight illicit financial flows are required to offset the challenges that least developed countries face in accessing concessional financing and insufficient external development aid, speakers stressed today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held its last full day of high-level thematic round tables.

Given the diverse nature of least developed countries, accurately identifying the specific interests of each and supporting them in a tailored manner is a pressing task, speakers stressed today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held its fourth and final day of debates, which also featured States and intergovernmental organizations detailing initiatives to help least developed countries overcome pressing challenges and move towards smooth graduation.

Afghanistan under the Taliban remains the most repressive country in the world for women’s rights, the senior United Nations official in Afghanistan told the Security Council today, spotlighting numerous restrictions imposed on women’s right to travel, study, and work freely, including for non-governmental organizations, making the response to the world’s largest humanitarian crisis even more challenging.

​​​​​​​DOHA, 8 March — International solidarity is the first line of defence for transitioning from a pandemic-prone world to a pandemic-proof one, speakers at the sixth high-level thematic round table agreed as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries began its penultimate day.

​​​​​​​With the world celebrating International Women’s Day today, ministers and other high-level Government officials underscored the need to strengthen women and girls’ inclusion in innovation and technology, close the digital gender divide and address digital violence as the Commission on the Status of Women continued its sixty-seventh session.

The Security Council voted today to extend through 12 March 2024 the mandate of the Panel of Experts charged with assisting its Sudan sanctions committee, while also expressing its intention to review those sanctions in light of progress achieved by the Government on several key benchmarks.

DOHA, 7 March — Stressing that there is no vaccine against climate change and disaster, speakers called for urgent action today to assist vulnerable States because “the ‘now’ is long overdue”, as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries concluded its third day of high-level thematic round tables.

DOHA, 7 March — Overcoming the digital divide through investment in broadband infrastructure will help those living in least developed countries leverage economic opportunities in a world that is increasingly moving online, speakers stressed today as the fifth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries held its third day of debates, which also featured States offering to share their development experience with the international community.

The General Assembly today adopted by consensus two decisions, one on the 2024 session of the Economic and Social Council and its high-level political forum on sustainable development and the other on the upcoming 2023 United Nations Water Conference.