The Economic and Social Council today opened the first of a series of coordination and management meetings in its 2015 session, adopting without a vote a resolution recognizing the “unprecedented” window of opportunity to combat HIV/AIDS, as well as three decisions put forward by the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations.
The United Nations Disarmament Commission’s significance as a platform for dialogue and cooperation had only been heightened in light of current rising global tensions and mistrust, the 193-member subsidiary body heard today during its general debate, moving into the second day of its 2015 session.
With armed violence killing more than 740,000 people each year and the prospects of deeper nuclear arms cuts slim, the United Nations disarmament machinery must end its 15 year-long stalemate so it could tackle those twenty-first century security threats, the Disarmament Commission heard today, although it proved unable to agree on a work programme and begin its substantive debate.
The Security Council today authorized the resumed drawdown for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) — suspended since September due to the Ebola outbreak — and narrowed its mandate to exclude assistance for senatorial elections that were held in December 2014.
The General Assembly today adopted without a vote eight resolutions and one decision, including one establishing the statute of the United Nations Nelson Mandela Prize and two on promoting cooperation with regional organizations.
Speakers at the Economic and Social Council drew attention today to the multidimensional nature of the challenge of generating equitable and inclusive employment opportunities as part of achieving sustainable global development, as that body concluded its 2015 integration segment.
In three interactive panel discussions today, the Economic and Social Council looked at how climate change challenges could be met through creating decent jobs, how dignity and prosperity could become the norm for working people, and how policies could translate sustained economic growth in Africa into “broad-based and job-rich outcomes” towards inclusive sustainable development.
With almost 200 million people in the 15 to 24 age group — a figure likely to double in the next three decades — Africa represented an opportunity as well as challenge, the President of Tanzania told the Economic and Social Council today as that body began its 2015 integration session on the theme “Achieving sustainable development through employment creation and decent work for all”.
Unless well-targeted humanitarian assistance reached those fleeing Boko Haram’s increasingly brutal attacks, more than 3 million people in northern Nigeria would be unable to meet basic food needs in the coming months and millions more would be affected, top United Nations officials said, briefing the Security Council on threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.
The situation in the Middle East, protection of children in armed conflict and crises in Africa dominated the Council’s schedule, the Permanent Representative of France, President of the body for March, said in a monthly wrap-up meeting this afternoon.
