Meetings Coverage

While concerted multilateral action was needed to root out barbarous terrorist attacks from Boston to Karachi, the United Nations counter-terrorism machinery was only as good as “the sum of its parts”, the Security Council was told this morning as it reviewed the work of its three anti-terrorism Committees.

Acting on the recommendation of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the General Assembly this morning decided to adjust for the first time in a decade reimbursement rates to countries contributing troops to United Nations peacekeeping operations as part of a broad package to create a credible, predictable and equitable reimbursement system.

The United Nations financial situation “was healthy” at the end of 2012 thanks to the efforts of many Member States and continued to depend on those States meeting their monetary obligations “in full and on time”, the Organization’s top management official told the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning.

The formidable social, economic and security challenges facing Guinea-Bissau following its May 2012 coup d’état were not insurmountable, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council today, stressing that they must be tackled through a two-phase process: a return to constitutional order through year-end elections and a post-electoral strengthening of State bodies through adequately financed reforms.

The trials of those charged with committing the most heinous crimes in Libya during former leader Muammar Qadhafi’s 42-year reign could be the country’s “Nuremberg moment” — no matter where they took place — the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court told the Security Council today, stressing that, above all that, they must be a “shining example” of what could be achieved through human endeavours to seek justice.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today was briefed by the United Nations Controller on the preparation of the 2014/2015 programme budget that would reflect a $100 million reduction to the $5.49 billion previously outlined by the Secretary-General.

The upcoming fortieth anniversary of the accord that formed the backbone of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) should serve as a catalyst to re-energize the 57-member body, Ukraine’s Minister for Foreign Affairs told the Security Council today, as he sketched out the priorities for his country’s Chairmanship of the OSCE in 2013.

Meeting briefly in a resumed organizational session today, the Economic and Social Council this morning adopted its theme for an upcoming event on transition from relief to development, considered outstanding vacancies on two of its subsidiary bodies, and heard a briefing on the work of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning took action on a contentious text concerning reimbursement rates to troop-contributing countries that had delayed conclusion of the earlier part of its resumed session, and began the second part of its session, which is aimed at approving a peacekeeping budget for the year 2013/14.

The Security Council’s role in new efforts to forge peace in the Democratic Republic of the Congo was crucial to stopping one of the longest, most appalling human rights crises, said the Secretary-General’s newly appointed Special Envoy to the Great Lakes Region, pressing delegates to seize a “moment of renewed opportunity” to resolve the underlying causes and infuse hope into a new United Nations-mediated peace accord for the country and region.