With long-overdue financial reforms and an ambitious federal budget, Iraq’s Government continues to forge progress in tackling the challenges it faces, the senior United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today, adding that more efforts are required to address its rapidly growing population’s needs.

One quarter of humanity lives in places affected by conflict, including the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine, and, now again, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, a United Nations human rights official told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, highlighting that the number of civilians killed in war operations worldwide rose by 50 per cent in 2022.

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), continuing its general debate on decolonization and related items today, heard speakers from Africa calling for more dynamism on the issue — and a more proactive approach from the Committee — in delivering the promise of self-determination to the Non-Self-Governing Territories.

The General Assembly today elected 15 Member States to the Human Rights Council, the United Nations body responsible for promoting and protecting all human rights around the globe.

Heightened geopolitical tensions, retrenchment of a deteriorating security environment with few tangible gains, the enduring war in Ukraine and troubling events rapidly unfolding in the Middle East framed debate today in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).

As the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up more than a dozen reports relating to sustainable development today, delegates spotlighted the importance of promoting renewable, sustainable and affordable sources of energy, also calling for more support for developing and least developed countries to sustain progress.

Obstacles remain to realizing the full rights of Indigenous Peoples, but initiatives meant to empower them offer opportunities for social and economic growth as well as healing from past wounds, the Third Committee (Social Humanitarian, Cultural) heard today as it took up the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The United Nations senior management official told delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today that the deteriorating liquidity situation of the Organization’s regular budget could persist into 2024 if the collection rates of unpaid assessments from Member States does not pick up.

Continuing its general debate on decolonization and related items, speakers in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today called for special attention to be given to the vulnerability of small island Non-Self-Governing Territories, including the impact of climate change.

Member States must demonstrate in their actions, not just in words, their commitment to the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of all States, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today as she detailed last week’s attacks on the Ukrainian village of Hroza and the city centre of Kharkiv.