Petitioners on the question of Western Sahara voiced strident opinions on the long-standing dispute as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its annual debate on decolonization matters this morning, with experts warning that the contested territory could become a “safe haven for terrorism” if the issue was not promptly resolved.
Armed conflict had caused the world to become fragmented and left it “shaken to the core” as the system of global security became diluted, and international relations turned to “mutual alienation and mistrust”, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today during its general debate.
Despite some gains, the world had been locked in a “cycle of intense frustration” over the lack of progress on nuclear disarmament, as the “flawed step-by-step approach” was not enough to achieve the goal of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today, as it continued its general debate.
The Security Council today extended for two months the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS), with some members expressing concern over provisions on the potential use of unarmed unmanned aerial systems, sanctions, and technical support establishing a hybrid court to prosecute the perpetrators of mass atrocity crimes in the world’s youngest nation.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its general discussion on crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control today with an invitation from the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime for Member States to “build a bridge” between the recently adopted 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals and the General Assembly’s Special Session on the world drug problem in 2016.
A far-reaching debate on the best interests of Non-Self Governing Territories fostered contentious exchanges and strong opinions from a broad array of representatives and petitioners this afternoon, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) entered its second day of debate on decolonization issues.
The work of the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) must be aligned with the 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development, the Committee heard today as it conducted a discussion on its working methods after concluding its general debate.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began examining the United Nations’ programme planning, a critical process in the Organization’s regular budget formulation, while approving a recommendation that five Member States in arrears on dues payment be allowed to vote in the General Assembly.
The Security Council this morning decided to authorize Member States for a period of one year to inspect vessels on the high seas off the coast of Libya that they had reasonable grounds to suspect were being used for migrant smuggling or human trafficking from that country.
Haiti’s success in conducting the first round of long-awaited legislative elections, reforming its criminal code and maintaining a generally stable security environment was evidence of “a new order” that was paving the way for the United Nations to rethink the size and strength of its future presence on the island nation, agreed speakers in the Security Council today.
