Meetings Coverage

The General Assembly today, nearing completion of its work for the main part of the session, adopted three draft texts on international tribunals and on bolstering emergency humanitarian response.

Concerted action by the international community was needed following a Human Rights Council report on appalling, systematic abuses in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, high United Nations officials told the Security Council today, following a procedural vote of 11 in favour to 2 against (China, Russian Federation), with 2 abstentions (Chad, Nigeria) that put the situation on the body’s agenda.

The Security Council had rallied to consensus on several important issues in December, the Permanent Representative of Chad and President of that body said in a monthly wrap-up meeting, as members stressed the need to press ahead on issues and areas where they had failed to produce results.

During an all-day open debate presided over by the Foreign Minister of Chad, the Security Council called for international action to prevent terrorists from benefiting from transnational organized crime, through securing borders and prosecuting illicit networks.

The General Assembly, acting on the recommendation of its Second Committee (Economic and Financial), today adopted 38 resolutions — seven requiring recorded votes — and five decisions on a range of issues relating to strengthening the post-2015 agenda.  Those included external debt, creation of a new international economic order, the multidimensional nature of development and poverty, South-South cooperation, liberalization of world trade, promotion of new and renewable sources of energy, and problems of countries in special situations.

The Security Council this morning renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has supervised the ceasefire between Israel and Syria since 1974, for an additional next sixth months, until 30 June 2015.

Sending a strong message to end impunity and to renew efforts to promote and protect human rights, especially for vulnerable groups, the General Assembly adopted 61 resolutions and seven decisions recommended by its Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) while deferring action on one draft resolution on the situation of human rights in Myanmar pending the issuance of budget implications.

As negotiations between the permanent five members of the Security Council plus Germany, known as the P5+1, and Iran continued, measures imposed against that country remained in full effect and States had an obligation to implement them fully, the Chair of the 1737 Committee told the 15-member body today.

In two separate resolutions this afternoon, the Security Council decided to extend the term of office of judges of the International Tribunals handling serious crimes committed in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda in the early 1990s, while requesting both courts to complete their work as expeditiously as possible.

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) began its examination of the revised budget proposal for the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) for the biennium 2014-2015, some delegates expressed deep concern that sufficient resources would not reach the field, where assistance was most needed.