Meetings Coverage

To a burst of sustained applause, the General Assembly today voted overwhelmingly in favour of a “historic”, first-ever treaty to regulate the astonishing number of conventional weapons traded each year, making it more difficult for them to be diverted into the hands of those intent on sowing the seeds of war and conflict.

The Special Committee on Decolonization — also known as the Special Committee of 24 — today decided to hold its Pacific Regional Seminar in Guayaquil, Ecuador, from 28 to 30 May 2013, to review progress in the United Nations decolonization process.

In a “very complex” security environment — marked by diplomatic divisions between national and international interests, slow progress on nuclear disarmament, and the “relentless” expansion of military budgets — the Disarmament Commission’s record would be judged less by the volume of its words than the quality of its outcomes, said Angela Kane, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, as she opened the deliberative body’s 2013 substantive session.

The Security Council today approved the creation of its first-ever “offensive” combat force, intended to carry out targeted operations to “neutralize and disarm” the notorious 23 March Movement (M23), as well as other Congolese rebels and foreign armed groups in strife-riven eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon approved by consensus eight draft texts addressing, among other issues, human resources management, progress in setting up an accountability system in the United Nations and the cost to recover from the damage to Headquarters caused by storm Sandy last October, while failing to reach agreement on a decision to defer several agenda items to a later session.

After two weeks of closed-door consultations, a sweeping arms trade treaty text setting out principles and rules to regulate the staggering array of weapons that changes hands each year failed to achieve consensus tonight, but several delegations, not willing to return to their countries “empty-handed”, promised to move the draft treaty to the General Assembly for adoption as early as next week.

The Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations today agreed to reconvene in about a month to conclude its 2013 session, based on the recommendation of the body’s Chairperson, who sought more time for delegations to thoroughly consider fresh proposals aimed at breaking a weeks-long deadlock.

Current global crises impacted young people especially hard, but today’s youth had the energy and ideas to change the world, said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as he welcomed youth delegates to the Economic and Social Council’s Youth Forum, convened under the theme “Shaping tomorrow’s innovators: Leveraging science, technology, innovation and culture for today’s youth”.

As the General Assembly today concluded its consideration of the Peacebuilding Commission’s annual progress report, delegates praised the document’s analytical approach and urged the Commission, as well as the Peacebuilding Fund, to reach out to development banks, regional organizations and other partners to mobilize resources.

Acting on the recommendations of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Security Council today decided that the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Sierra Leone (UNIPSIL) would fully draw down its operations by 31 March 2014, wrapping up the latest phase of the Organization’s decades-long engagement with the West African country.