Meetings Coverage

Despite “significant risks” posed by its contractor’s performance, the United Nations project team in Ethiopia had succeeded in containing construction costs for new office space at the Addis Ababa-based Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and was expected to complete the project within budget, a senior management official told the Fifth Committee this morning as it considered the status of both that venture and a similar project at the United Nations Headquarters in Nairobi.

The international community must launch a “fully fledged war” to eradicate poverty, the world’s greatest challenge, the representative of the Dominican Republic told the Second Committee today, as it concluded its general debate. Poverty denied people their right to a decent life, broke down democratic institutions and made full participation in society elusive, he said, adding that it was no coincidence that drastically reducing poverty was the major aim of the Millennium Development Goals.

The political ambiguity surrounding the decades-old conflict in Western Sahara, despite the string over the years of settlement proposals and initiatives to resolve it, again underpinned debate today in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) as petitioners laid bare both the plight of the Saharans and their potential to secure a positive future.

Unblocking progress towards a fissile material ban was a logical and absolutely necessary next step on the path to global nuclear disarmament, the United States’ delegate told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today, warning that her country’s patience on the issue was “not infinite”, vowing to push for what was in the best interest of global security.

The United Nations had brought neutrality and global profundity to the progression of international law, which resulted in the first High-level Meeting on the subject and a declaration that exhibited the will of States, Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told the Sixth Committee as it began its debate on the rule of law at the international and national levels.

The international community must not lose sight of the emerging and interconnected threats of food insecurity and climate change, Cambodia’s representative warned delegates today, as the Second Committee continued its general debate.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today took up the scale of assessments for determining Member States’ contributions for the Organization’s 2013-2015 peacekeeping operations budget, with speakers strongly cautioning against any changes to the methodology that would place extra financial burdens on small developing countries and did not reflect the “special responsibility” of permanent Security Council members to maintain international peace and security.

A phenomenon that had grown in scope, sophistication and complexity, terrorism could only be combated through the eradication of its root causes, adherence to relevant instruments of international law and global and regional partnerships, delegates told the Sixth Committee (Legal) today as it concluded its debate on measures to eliminate terrorism.

The creation of decent work opportunities — especially for the world’s 74.8 million unemployed young people — was vital to reducing inequality, eradicating poverty and promoting sustained, equitable economic growth, speakers said today, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) wrapped up its two-day discussion of social development.

Welcoming national assumption of security responsibilities in Afghanistan while acknowledging continued challenges in completing that process, the Security Council this afternoon decided to extend the authorization of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in that country for the twelve months ending 13 October 2013.