The collapse of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) will threaten lives, regional stability and the integrity of the multilateral system, its chief warned the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today, pointing to recent legislation passed by the Israeli Parliament that could end the Agency’s operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in less than three months.
Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today threw their support behind the Secretariat’s request for a $3.07 million intervention to keep the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone running smoothly in 2025, while raising concern over the current funding arrangement.
From addressing transnational challenges to supporting national peacebuilding priorities, special political missions play a key role in the Organization’s peacebuilding architecture, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today, as it approved a draft resolution encouraging those missions to continue fostering inclusive partnerships with regional and subregional organizations as well as work closely with host Governments.
Sport serves as the ultimate unifier, bridging diverse cultures and generations, promoting sustainable development and offering young people a constructive alternative to crime and delinquency, Member States told the General Assembly today.
Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today considered the persistent cost overruns gripping the Strategic Heritage Plan renovation project at the United Nations Office at Geneva.
The unremitting violence in Sudan, raging for 18 months, is poised to intensify, worsening already alarming levels of human rights violations, food insecurity and displacement, the Security Council heard at a high-level briefing on the situation in the country, as senior United Nations officials renewed their calls for an immediate ceasefire, humanitarian access and renewed efforts towards a negotiated settlement.
Speakers urged the Security Council today to prevent northern Gaza’s descent into famine amid relentless death and destruction, as the 15-member body convened an emergency meeting in response to experts’ warnings that immediate action is required within “days, not weeks” to avert the scourge.
As the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its debate today on peacekeeping, speakers stressed the need to revise the current model, seeking stronger engagement between peacekeepers and communities, deeper understanding of local contexts and cultures, and a greater focus on addressing conflicts’ root causes, with some calling on the Security Council to adapt non-military approaches and increase cooperation with regional organizations.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) sent eight draft resolutions to the General Assembly today, including texts on establishing a United Nations cybercrime convention, promoting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and combating the glorification of Nazism.
Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today commended the Secretariat’s ongoing efforts to elevate the quality of United Nations conferences held around the globe while emphasizing the need to deliver these services in all six official languages.
