Globally, more than 40 million people are subject to modern forms of slavery — 71 per cent of them women and girls — a grave human rights situation exacerbated by gender inequality, poverty, cultural norms and discriminatory laws that demand change, the Special Rapporteur on the topic told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian, Cultural) today.
Acting without a vote, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved a draft resolution on the University for Peace today, by which the General Assembly requests that Member States support that institution’s mission and contribute financially to it.
Officials in Damascus have rejected the United Nations formulation of a list of participants to make up a constitutional committee intended to move the political process in Syria forward, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria told the Security Council today.
Because the International Court of Justice is adjudicating more cases related to scientific and technological advances, the Court is able to guarantee its competency addressing such expanded and diverse disputes through the engagement of outside experts as established by its founding Statute, the President of that body told the Sixth Committee (Legal) today during his annual visit.
The growing humanitarian toll of conventional weapons took centre stage in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today during its thematic debate segment, as delegates highlighted the detrimental effects of such weapons on civilian populations in vulnerable and conflict affected regions.
Thousands of trans and gender-diverse persons are subjected to levels of violence that “offend the human conscience”, the first United Nations expert on the topic told the Third Committee today, as delegates engaged with mandate holders on the promotion and protection of human rights.
The International Court of Justice remains the highest judicial authority in the world, the General Assembly heard today, as speakers called on all States to accept its jurisdiction and fully comply with its judgments.
Nearly two decades after the Security Council’s adoption of a landmark resolution on women, peace and security, the head of the United Nations entity responsible for gender equality warned today of “systemic failure” to integrate women into such critical processes as peacekeeping, mediation and peace negotiations, as the 15-member organ convened its annual open debate on the issue.
Environmental concerns were in the foreground of the Sixth Committee (Legal) debate today, as delegates concluded consideration of the first cluster of topics from the International Law Commission’s annual report and took up the second cluster, including jus cogens and the provisional application of treaties.
Acting without a vote today, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved a draft resolution and a draft decision, concluding its general debate on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
