The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) sent 14 draft resolutions and 1 draft decision to the General Assembly today, including one aimed at preventing terrorist groups from accessing materials to build improvised explosive devices.
Failure to acknowledge historical links to modern racism would embolden extremist ideologies, experts warned the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it launched its discussion on ways to eliminate racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
The Security Council today reiterated its strong condemnation of the recruitment and use of children by parties to armed conflict, as well as their killing and maiming, rape and other forms of sexual violence.
Staff members were the United Nations main asset, but greater efforts must be made to bring more women into the Organization’s ranks and to tackle long-standing concerns over geographical underrepresentation, speakers said today as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) turned its attention to human resources management issues.
Despite progress in the de‑escalation of fighting in certain parts of Syria, civilian suffering, as well as impediments to aid delivery, continued, the United Nations top humanitarian official told the Security Council this afternoon, stressing it was crucial to ensure that cross-border delivery of aid was maintained.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its debate on human rights today as Governments described measures to ensure their citizens enjoyed full protection of their fundamental freedoms.
While the International Criminal Court — now more efficient and fully developed — had made significant strides in holding to account perpetrators of the world’s most serious crimes, fulfilling its mandate would ultimately require even greater cooperation from the international community, stressed its President, who briefed the General Assembly prior to its adoption of a resolution welcoming the Court’s annual report.
Delegates called for adequate resourcing of peacekeeping missions, informed by each situation on the ground, in order to avoid jeopardizing “Blue Helmets”, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) concluded its annual general debate on the comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.
Innovative actions would be needed to support the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (Sahel G-5) countries (Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger) as well as development efforts, United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres told the Security Council this morning, stressing that the situation in that region was a challenge for all.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today approved six draft resolutions, including one on a legally binding instrument on the prevention of an arms race in outer space.
