Meetings Coverage

Acknowledging that the production of reliable, timely statistics and indicators of countries’ progress were indispensable for informed policy decisions and monitoring implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the General Assembly this afternoon decided to designate 20 October as World Statistics Day.

Meeting this morning to consider a vacancy on the International Criminal Court of Justice, the Security Council set 9 September 2010 as the date for the election to fill it.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today took note of the quadrennial reports of 220 non-governmental organizations in consultative status and deferred consideration of the reports of 21 more, owing to insufficient information.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended 5 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and postponed its consideration of 43 applications.

In the early morning hours of Tuesday, the Security Council expressed deep regret at the loss of life and injuries resulting from the use of force during the Israeli military operation early on Monday in international waters against the convoy sailing to Gaza, and condemned those acts which had killed at least 10 civilians and wounded many more.

Adopting its provisional final report by acclamation today, the Review Conference for the landmark 1995 Fish Stocks Agreement determined that implementation of the accord would be further strengthened by additional recommendations that built on outcomes adopted in 2006 and addressed, in some cases, new issues relevant to strengthening the substance and methods of implementation.

After intense negotiations and, at times, heated controversy, States parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) today concluded the 2010 Conference to review and advance the landmark 1968 accord with the unanimous adoption of an outcome document that contained steps to speed progress on nuclear disarmament, advance non-proliferation and work towards a nuclear-weapon-free zone in the Middle East.

Extending the mandate of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) until 30 June 2010 today, the Security Council also decided that from 1 July it would bear the title “United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)”, in view of the new phase reached in the country.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended 23 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and postponed its consideration of 39 applications.

ISTANBUL, Turkey, 27 May — With tensions high in Jerusalem, and public criticism growing worldwide over the lack of action to alleviate the desperate situation of Palestinians clinging to survival there, experts, students and representatives of non-governmental organizations attending a United Nations Forum called today for an end to Israel’s repressive policies in that city, urging fellow members of civil society to mobilize a coordinated, rights-based response.