VIENNA, 5 October — The 2017 International Media Seminar on Peace in the Middle East opened in Vienna today, with journalists, diplomats, academics and civil society representatives sharing views on the status of peace efforts, ways to end the occupation — now in its fiftieth year — and media narratives about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Welcoming “remarkable achievements” in Colombia following agreements to end long-term civil strife, the Security Council decided this afternoon that the United Nations Verification Mission there would expand its work to include monitoring a ceasefire recently signed by the Government and the group known as Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN).
Security Council leadership was critical in ensuring the full implementation of performance, training and conduct requirements for United Nations peacekeeping operations, the Organization’s peacekeeping chief told the Council this afternoon as it discussed strategic force generation.
Casting a spotlight on the illicit trafficking of small arms and light weapons, delegates highlighted the global security risks and humanitarian toll of conventional weapons today, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.
A more equitable trading system and the cessation of unilateral sanctions would be critical to achieving sustainable development, speakers told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today during its debate on macroeconomic policy questions.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) opened a new session today with members calling for transparency and flexibility in tackling the United Nations proposed programme budget for the biennium 2018‑2019, as well as the Secretary‑General’s proposals on reforming the management of the Secretariat.
A petitioner appealed today for the parties to the dispute over Western Sahara to approach the issue in a spirit of compromise, rather than resurrecting old settlement plans or repeating arguments, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on decolonization.
While recent crises threatening the peace process in Mali had been overcome and new agreements reached, progress must be accelerated as the situation remained perilous for peacekeepers and civilians, the head of United Nations peacekeeping efforts in the West African country told the Security Council today.
Delegates in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) debated the international response to violence against women today, opening a discussion on the advancement of women.
Condemning the continued smuggling of migrants through Libya and off its coast — thereby endangering hundreds of thousands of lives and undermining stability — the Security Council today extended until 5 October 2018 its authorization for Member States to intercept vessels suspected of being used for such purposes.
