After 24 years of ground‑breaking work in the fight against impunity, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia would close its doors by end of year, having “blazed a trail of remarkable firsts”, the General Assembly heard today.
Accelerated efforts to address rapid urbanization would be necessary in implementing the New Urban Agenda and realizing the Sustainable Development Goals, delegates said today, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN‑Habitat).
Despite the overall negative trajectory that had characterized the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict for far too long, there were reasons for cautious optimism, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs told the Security Council today as the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, was addressed in an all‑day debate that heard from more than forty speakers.
Describing multilingualism as essential for the dissemination of United Nations information, the Organization’s new information chief said it was a priority for the Department of Public Information, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its consideration of questions relating to information today.
Stemming the steady flow of conventional arms into vulnerable regions required proper export controls and improvements in the implementation of existing instruments, delegates told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today during a debate on the issue.
Civil society had a crucial role to play in protecting human rights while countering terrorism, and in assuring the independence of judges and lawyers, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as special mandate holders on those topics engaged in a spirited back‑and‑forth with delegates.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved four draft resolutions and a draft decision today, concluding its general debate on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.
Experts stressed the need for preventive measures and accessible remedies to mitigate wide‑ranging challenges to human rights, the Sustainable Development Goals and global stability, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) held a series of interactive dialogues today.
Amid reforms to end fragmentation of the United Nations system, it was crucial to maintain sufficient funding for the Secretary‑General’s representatives working to make the Organization’s operational activities more efficient and effective at the country level, delegates said today as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) examined the proposed 2018‑2019 cost‑sharing arrangement and financing of the Resident Coordinator system.
With regional forces being deployed in South Sudan to strengthen civilian protection, that country’s leaders still bore direct responsibility to end the bloodshed through efforts to reinvigorate the political process, the United Nations peacekeeping chief stressed to the Security Council today.
