Meetings Coverage

Deeply concerned about the pervasiveness of all forms of violence against women and girls and in recognition of the special vulnerability of young people in the current financial and economic crisis, the Third Committee today approved two draft resolutions on ending violence against women and on youth, before beginning consideration of the report of the Human Rights Council.

Presented with the Organization’s 2010-2011 budget that approached $5 billion today, numerous members of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) advocated strict financial discipline, close scrutiny of requirements, clear prioritization and redeployment of resources from lower-priority areas, while also insisting on the need to present a full picture of all requirements at the time of the introduction of the budget proposal.

Combined efforts by the United Nations, Governments, civil society and operational implementing partners to efficiently coordinate mine action-related activities gone far to end the suffering caused by landmines and explosive remnants of war, Assistant Secretary-General for the Rule of Law and Security Institutions of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations told the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today.

States’ increased recourse to the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice for the peaceful settlement of their disputes on growing and more varied issues pointed to heightened awareness among political leaders of the importance of the rule of law, the top officials of those global judicial bodies told the United Nations General Assembly today.

Information and communications technology must be harnessed to eradicate poverty, several delegates told the Second Committee today, as the Committee concluded its consideration of information and communications technologies for development.

Given the complex threats faced worldwide, the flagship United Nations activity of peacekeeping was at a critical juncture and must be implemented to its fullest potential, or it risked undermining the hope that had been associated with the Organization for more than 60 years, delegates stressed today, as the Fourth Committee continued its general debate on the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects.

Recognizing that preventing an arms race in outer space would avert a grave danger for international peace and security, the General Assembly would call uponall States, particularly those with major space capabilities, to contribute actively to the objective of the peaceful use of outer space, according to the terms of one of 25 draft resolutions and decisions approved this afternoon by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security).

Concluding its three-day general discussion on the promotion and protection of human rights, speakers in the Third Committee drew links between the fight to secure all people’s enjoyment of human rights and the fight against poverty, stressing that States must do more to integrate human rights concepts into people’s everyday lives.

Taking up issues of procurement reform this morning, members of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) expressed concern at the lack of progress in that area and the lack of specifics on reform results in the Secretary-General’s report.

Even though many delegates expressed a newfound optimism that United States-Cuba relations could improve with the change of Administration in Washington, the United Nations General Assembly today once again adopted a stern resolution calling on the United States to end a trade embargo, which had created human suffering and wrecked havoc with the economy of the island nation.