The General Assembly, mindful of the impact of the COVID‑19 pandemic on its work, debated today whether to enact a special procedure for adopting resolutions and decisions “only in the most exceptional circumstances” when it cannot hold in‑person meetings, and postponed a vote on the matter to Friday, 13 November.
Meeting concurrently with the Security Council, the General Assembly today elected five judges — including four incumbents — out of a pool of eight candidates to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to serve nine-year terms beginning 6 February 2021.
The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) until 15 November 2021, outlining protection of civilians, supporting the peace process and preparing for elections as priorities.
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Somalia until 15 December 2021, renewed the partial lifting of the arms embargo on the country’s security forces and urged the country to curb terrorist financing as well as illicit exports, including charcoal and explosive ingredients.
The Security Council, meeting independently from but concurrently with the General Assembly today, elected five judges to the International Court of Justice for nine-year terms beginning on 6 February 2021.
Meeting concurrently with the Security Council, the General Assembly today was unable to elect five judges from an initial pool of eight candidates to the International Court of Justice for terms of nine years beginning 6 February 2021.
Endorsing the annual report of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the General Assembly today adopted a draft resolution reaffirming its strong support for the Vienna-based organization, as its new Director-General outlined a major initiative to help Member States confront pandemics, even as it monitors ongoing non-proliferation concerns in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Iran.
The Security Council, meeting independently from but concurrently with the General Assembly in an initial round of voting today, was not yet able to fill five open seats on the International Court of Justice.
As climate‑related hazards and natural phenomena continue to loom over many countries and the world continues to reel from the COVID‑19 pandemic, the debate on the protection of persons in the event of disasters took on an urgency that went beyond legal abstractions, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) today considered the Secretary‑General’s report on the matter (document A/75/214) and deliberated the merits of codifying related draft articles into an international agreement.
Despite long-held principles found in the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic and Consular Relations, delegates spotlighted recent attacks against their missions and staff, as the Sixth Committee (Legal) took up the Secretary‑General’s report, “Consideration of effective measures to enhance the protection, security and safety of diplomatic and consular missions and representatives” (document A/75/168).
