The Security Council decided this evening to extend the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) to 15 July 2022 and request the Secretary-General to assess its mandate, including whether and how it could be adjusted to address Haiti’s ongoing challenges.
The General Assembly today elected 18 Member States to the Human Rights Council, the United Nations body responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe, and paid tribute to Abdelaziz Bouteflika, a former President of Algeria and of the Assembly during its twenty‑ninth session.
Labour leaders, lawyers, journalists and citizens peacefully advocating for democratic reform are often jailed in reprisal for their engagement with United Nations mechanisms, the Independent Expert charged with investigating their plight told the Third Committee today as delegates took part in a series of virtual dialogues on broad human rights questions.
With the COVID-19 pandemic upending economic gains and hampering efforts to push forward with country-level goals, speakers highlighted the need to harness South-South cooperation and ramp up funding for the United Nations development and resident coordinator systems, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up operational activities for development today.
During a briefing today in which senior United Nations officials detailed the recent intensified conflict and the deepening humanitarian crisis situation in Yemen, a speaker from an independent think tank told the Security Council that international organizations have failed to ensure aid reaches Yemenis in need, describing this dereliction as “the worst international response” to a humanitarian crisis in the world.
The imminent fifth anniversary of the historic peace accord between Colombia and former opposition armed groups offers an opportunity to acknowledge its successes and commit to overcoming challenges that stand in the way of realizing its transformative potential, the senior United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today.
Any new impetus for dialogue on disarmament and non‑proliferation must forge convergence out of the current differences among States with a view to advancing the goal of a safer world, free of nuclear weapons, delegates said today, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its thematic debate on several agenda items.
Femicide, enforced disappearances and discrimination against vulnerable groups continue to flourish as the world grapples with the joint crises of COVID‑19 and climate change, the United Nations human rights chief told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates raised questions about protections for children, older adults and those living in poverty in a series of interactive dialogues.
Addressing a cluster of thematic issues, delegates painted a picture today of a world in disarmament crisis, from the proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction to the rampant illicit trade in small arms and light weapons, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued the thematic segment of its session.
With COVID‑19 sending shockwaves through trade and supply chains and pushing developing countries further behind, speakers called for urgent reform of the global trade system that ensures an equitable and inclusive recovery for all, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up macroeconomic policy today.
