Meetings Coverage

By shooting her and her friends, “the terrorists thought that they would change our aims and stop our ambitions, but nothing changed in my life except this: weakness, fear and hopelessness died; strength, power and courage were born”, Malala Yousafzai said today, during a Headquarters celebration of her sixteenth birthday as part of the United Nations Youth Takeover event.

Underscoring the role of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan in protecting civilians, improving security and supporting peacebuilding efforts, the Security Council today decided to renew its mandate until 15 July 2014, authorizing it to use all necessary means to carry out its protection mandate.

As the impact of the Syrian crisis on Lebanon’s stability “becomes more and more apparent”, the Security Council today expressed deep concern at the growing involvement of Lebanese parties and called on them to recommit to the policy of dissociation and to step back from any involvement in the neighbouring crisis, consistent with the Baabda Declaration of June 2012 aimed at safeguarding Lebanon.

West Africa had continued to face multiple political and security challenges, including elections-related tensions, transnational organized crime, piracy and terrorism, the United Nations envoy for the region told the Security Council today.

The General Assembly this morning adopted two resolutions by consensus ‑ the first outlining the format and organizational aspects of a High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development to replace the Commission on Sustainable Development, as mandated by the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) last year, and the second reaffirming the role of the United Nations in global economic governance.

Stark disparities and widening gaps between the world’s rich and poor were a “reproach to the promise of the United Nations Charter”, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned the General Assembly today during a thematic debate on inequality.

Despite inter-communal violence and insecurity in the populous north-eastern State of Jonglei, South Sudan had made significant strides towards consolidating peace, creating an effective police force and establishing the rule of law, the senior United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today.

Concluding its second resumed substantive session, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today recommended financial arrangements for 14 United Nations peacekeeping operations for the year beginning 1 July 2013 and ending 30 June 2014, which, once approved by the General Assembly, would exceed the previous year’s figure due to the addition of a new mission for Mali.

Acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the General Assembly today adopted its peacekeeping budget for the period 1 July 2013 to 30 June 2014.

Expressing grave concern at all violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, the Security Council this morning extended until 31 December 2013 the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force, which monitors the ceasefire in the Golan Heights between Israel and Syria.