With 37 Member States having paid all their assessments so far this year, speakers in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today emphasized the need for all countries to fulfil their financial obligations to the United Nations — and warned of the impact on peacekeeping if they failed to do so.
The collective rights of indigenous communities must be preserved and respected the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues heard today, as speakers took stock of progress made in the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Identifying key threats and engaging in a strategic reflection about today’s challenges to international peace and security, speakers discussed the means available and institutions required for an effective collective security architecture as the General Assembly convened a high-level thematic debate on the topic.
Amid rapid globalization and the scramble for natural resources, indigenous peoples had become victims of violence and even genocide on their lands, often due to their distinct identities, the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues heard today, as it opened its fifteenth session amid calls for their full participation in plans for peace and reconciliation that directly impacted their lives.
The Fifth Committee (Budgetary and Administrative) heard today how the United Nations had sought to manage the costs of its far-flung peacekeeping missions, for which a budget of $8.25 billion has been proposed for 2016/17, down fractionally from the 2015/16 period.
The current El Niño was among the most intense weather patterns of the last 100 years, affecting the food security of 60 million people and requiring nearly $3 billion in humanitarian response, the Economic and Social Council heard today amid calls to mobilize global action by promoting early warning mechanisms, building capacity, investing in disaster risk reduction and enhancing resilience.
A profound political crisis engulfing Iraq was paralysing the work of the Government and Council of Representatives at a time when terrorist attacks were spiking along with civilian deaths and a grave humanitarian situation was unfolding, the chief of the United Nations mission in that country told the Security Council today.
Closing its thirty-eighth session this afternoon, the Committee on Information unanimously approved a report relaying two draft resolutions to the General Assembly, with a focus as in years past on increased multilingualism and support for the communications capabilities of developing countries.
Recent developments on the ground necessitated additional budgetary resources for the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard today, as it took up resources proposals for a pair of active peacekeeping operations, as well as the final budget performance of several closed missions.
The transition process would undoubtedly be challenging, yet Bosnia and Herzegovina could move forward if all parties worked together and fully respected the Dayton Peace Agreement, the High Representative for that country told the Security Council this morning.
