Escalating violence in north-western Syria threatens to trigger a humanitarian catastrophe that would affect more than 3 million people in the country’s Idlib Governorate, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today, warning that a full military incursion would overwhelm all ability to respond.
Amid the spate of terrorist attacks and the uptick in intercommunal violence in Africa’s Sahel region, top security and peacebuilding officials called upon the Security Council today to support efforts to make the G5 Sahel Joint Force fully operational by ensuring it receives sustainable and predicable funding and resources.
Resuming its 2019 session today, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations recommended 75 groups for special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, while deferring action on the status of 28 others.
Drawing attention to deepening liquidity problems and continued delays in reimbursing countries that provide peacekeeping troops and police, delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today urged all Member States in arrears, especially those with ample capacity to pay, to promptly fulfil their financial obligations to ensure that the United Nations continues to deliver its mandate.
With Yemen “at the crossroads between war and peace”, both sides of the conflict in that country must set aside their differences and move towards a lasting political settlement, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today.
Concluding the Economic and Social Council’s two-day multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation, speakers today explored how cutting-edge research can help achieve crucial development targets, including building inclusive societies, combating climate change, engaging young people and protecting indigenous knowledge.
The Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) until 15 November today, deciding also to reduce its authorized troop ceiling to 3,550 and increase its authorized police ceiling to 640 personnel, including 148 individual police officers.
Closing the digital divide between the “haves” and the “have nots” — notably the billions of people who lack Internet access — will require coherent policies and frameworks that keep pace with a fast-changing landscape, speakers said as the Economic and Social Council’s fourth multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals opened today
Speakers questioned a request from the Secretary-General for a $56.1 million increase in the support account for peacekeeping operations for 2019/20 as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) entered the second week of its consideration of the United Nations peacekeeping budget.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), acting without a vote today, approved a resolution inviting the 34-member Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations to continue to review proposals aimed at enhancing the United Nations capacity in that critical arena.
