Greater cooperation among all stakeholders was needed for an open and comprehensive intergovernmental preparatory process to the Habitat III Conference, the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) heard today as it took up its agenda item on the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
States needed to develop necessary legislative and policy mechanisms in accordance with international laws to tackle challenges including foreign fighters and Nazism, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as it began consideration of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and of the right to self-determination with a series of interactive dialogues with top officials.
Social protection was crucial to achieve an end to hunger, the representative of Guyana told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it met to discuss agriculture development, food security and nutrition.
Opening discussion today on the broad array of issues deliberated upon by the International Law Commission in its sixty-seventh session, the Sixth Committee (Legal) began with the first cluster of topics, debating the Commission’s approach to “Protection of the atmosphere” and its conclusions on the “Most-Favoured-Nation clause”, of which it had completed consideration.
Acknowledging the ethical imperatives for a nuclear-weapon-free world, which was a “global public good of the highest order”, a new draft resolution in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) approved today asks the General Assembly to declare that those weapons were “inherently immoral” and that all States shared an ethical responsibility to eliminate and prohibit them.
Many speakers emphasized the invaluable nature of intergovernmental negotiations to reform the Security Council, and suggested a range of possible changes to its membership, while discussing the future of the veto power, as the General Assembly today held its annual debate on Council reform and the question of equitable representation in the 15-member body.
Expressing concerns about elections marred by misconduct, demand for United Nations electoral assistance had remained strong throughout the world, the Organization’s political affairs chief told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as it continued its consideration of the promotion and protection of human rights, tabling 10 draft resolutions.
The Security Council this morning underscored the importance of increased coordination, cooperation and interaction among the principal organs of the United Nations, in particular the Council, the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, other relevant bodies including the Peacebuilding Commission, and regional organizations, including the African Union.
Cyber-crime and cyber-terrorism were on the rise, as the fast growth of information and communications technologies transformed the world into a global village, with profound impacts on all aspects of social and economic life, including security, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today as it continued its thematic debate.
Today’s conflicts were outpacing the ability of the United Nations to address them, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today, drawing attention to new international momentum for the changes needed to ensure that peace operations were designed, equipped and financed to tackle the challenges of tomorrow.
