Meetings Coverage

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today postponed action on a draft text on financing of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for the 2015/16 budget year.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 40 organizations for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, and deferred action on the status of 62 others, as it continued its resumed session for 2015.

Strongly condemning impunity for attacks on journalists, which had greatly increased globally, the Security Council, during an all-day open debate today, called on parties to conflict and all Member States to create a safe environment “in law and practice” for media professionals to do their important work.

The Security Council this morning renewed the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) for just over 10 weeks, until 7 August, pending consideration of a review of regional and international efforts in the country.

Opening its resumed session for 2015, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 54 groups for special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council and deferred action on the status of 34 others.

As Serbia and Kosovo strove to overcome the legacy of hostility and conflict by working together on subjects of common concern, they should avoid procrastination on implementing the remaining steps of the April 2013 agreement or allowing older issues to shackle opportunities to open new ground, the top United Nations official there told the Security Council today.

ASTANA, 26 May — The United Nations would spare no effort in supporting the quest for peace in the Middle East, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told participants in a two-day international media seminar today, stressing that a free, pluralistic media was essential in covering both the Israeli-Palestinian story and broader regional dynamics in a fast-paced digital world.

The Security Council this morning adopted a text urging stronger cooperation in stemming the “illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse” of small arms and light weapons, underlining the suffering they caused to civilians, although six members abstained, citing insufficient attention to keeping arms from all non-State actors.

After weeks of intense debate, States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) concluded the month-long 2015 Review Conference this evening, unable to reach consensus on an outcome text that would have delineated steps to speed progress on nuclear disarmament, advance non-proliferation and work towards a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

Additional $88.1 million was needed to support the “last mile” of the international response to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, the United Nations Controller told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today as delegates reiterated concern about significant resources spent to support the operation’s high-level staff positions.