Meetings Coverage

The international community must bolster technical and financial aid to least developed countries to prevent the current global crises from erasing the benefits of their record economic growth rates in recent years, Under-Secretary-General Cheick Sidi Diarra said today, as the Second Committee began its general debate on groups of countries in special situations.

Paths diverged today over how to address the issue of conventional weapons as the quest unfolded to find a delicate balance between security and humanitarian concerns in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), which continued its thematic debate on conventional weapons and heard the introduction of two resolutions dealing with arms stockpiles and military spending.

Acting without a vote, the Sixth Committee this morning approved a resolution on the administration of justice at the United Nations while also opening debate on the scope and application of the principle of universal jurisdiction.

In an exchange of views with three of the United Nations’ top watchdogs on torture, speakers in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) expressed support for proactive measures taken by United Nations treaty bodies to prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and said the Convention against Torture was a “new generation treaty” that placed value on prevention over a cure.

Recalling the ancient Greek tradition of the Olympic Truce -- which provided a peaceful environment for athletes and spectators during the Olympic Games -- General Assembly delegates today invoked that spirit, with their adoption of a consensus resolution urging national committees and sports organizations to promote and strengthen a culture of peace during next year’s Games.

Implementing the two-year-old United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples would both bring historical justice to that too-often ignored segment of humanity and develop stronger democratic, multicultural societies, the Special Rapporteur on indigenous issues told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today.

Rounding up its thematic debate on the disarmament aspects of outer space today, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard the introduction of two draft resolutions, on transparency and confidence-building measures in outer space, and on the prevention of an outer space arms race.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) today began its deliberations on the report of the Special Committee on the Charter and the impact of sanctions against Member States, concerns were expressed about the effect on civilians and on third countries, which were not the intended target of the sanctions.

Another half billion people face food insecurity because of climate change, Margareta Wahlström, Assistant Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today during a panel discussion on “Climate change: Impacts and threats".

Now that there was a real prospect of ending the violence plaguing the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, efforts to ensure the lasting security of the population there must be pursued to a successful conclusion, Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, told the Security Council this morning.