The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today wrapped up the first part of its resumed seventy-seventh session by sending the General Assembly one decision and four resolutions, including the first human resources management package in more than six years.
Highlighting the links between durable peace, inclusive development, security and stability in the African continent, speakers in the Security Council today emphasized the need for greater international cooperation and support for “African solutions to African problems”, during a debate on the impact of development policies in implementing the African Union’s “Silencing the Guns” initiative, one of the signature events of Mozambique’s presidency.
The General Assembly today adopted by consensus a resolution requesting an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the obligations of States in respect of climate change, with most speakers hailing the move as a milestone in their decades-long struggle for climate justice. The Assembly also adopted a resolution on the role of diamonds in fuelling conflict.
Adopting a presidential statement today, the Security Council recalled its recent visit to the Democratic Republic of the Congo amidst increasing violence and extreme humanitarian need, while also voicing support for African-led regional processes to resolve the crisis, as the United Nations’ top official in the country outlined the security, humanitarian and electoral challenges present on the ground.
Cautioning about the fraught security and humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, due to the depredations of armed groups, delegates also looked forward to elections slated to take place there at the end of 2023, and noted signs of progress as they briefed Member States on the Security Council mission to the country from 9 to 13 March.
With terrorism and violent extremism spreading across Africa at an alarming rate, counter-efforts must take into account the socioeconomic drivers of terrorist recruitment, challenges posed by climate change and terrorist Internet propaganda, the Security Council heard today, as speakers called for greater support in the fight against the evolving threat, as well as enhanced cooperation among the United Nations, African Union and African subregional organizations.
The Security Council failed today to adopt a resolution, put forward by the representative of the Russian Federation, which would have established an international independent investigative commission into the September 2022 “acts of sabotage” committed on the Nord Stream gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea.
The scars of slavery are still visible around the world as disparities in wealth, income, health and education, speakers in the General Assembly emphasized, calling for transformative education that acknowledges this history, as well as concrete measures to address the resulting inequalities.
Highlighting the importance of international cooperation in achieving the Water Action Decade objectives — including the sustainable management of water resources, data-sharing and development of joint projects — speakers in the fifth and final interactive dialogue of the United Nations 2023 Water Conference called for collectively mobilizing international finance and investment in water, as well as the appointment of a special envoy.
As they wrapped up the final day of the 2023 United Nations Water Conference, global leaders painted a grim picture of a global water crisis that if not addressed with financing, infrastructure and policy changes will lead to more suffering, deaths and could even spark conflicts and mass migration patterns around the globe.
