As the General Assembly considered seven draft resolutions today on issues ranging from the return of cultural property to education for democracy, speakers held a contentious debate, resulting in a recorded vote on two texts tackling global health, as well as one on the fortifying of ties between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

Central and West African countries must develop strategies with which to tackle the root causes of insurgency, the senior United Nations official in the region told the Security Council today as it considered the activities of the United Nations regional office.

The following statement was issued, on the occasion of the 100-State-party milestone of the Arms Trade Treaty, in New York today:

The United Nations [Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization] Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, strongly condemns the attacks by unidentified armed persons that led to the execution of civilians in the localities of Tinabaw and Tabangout-Tissalatatene, in Menaka region, on Tuesday and Wednesday.  MINUSMA is in contact with authorities to establish the facts.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s opening remarks at the seventh Global Humanitarian Policy Forum, in New York, today:

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the closing of the intra-Yemeni consultations, in Rimbo, Sweden, today:

Underling the importance of helping rule-of-law institutions achieve sustainable peace in countries hosting peacekeeping and special political missions, the Security Council called today for the integration of United Nations support for their respective police, justice and correctional sectors into mandates from the outset.

Close collaboration with the Government of Haiti and its partners will be essential to the successful transition to a non-peacekeeping United Nations presence in that country, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH) told the Security Council today.

Speakers at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today reviewed the performance report for the first year of the Organization’s 2018‑2019 budget cycle, while deliberating on the financial resources for about three dozen special political missions, as well as the new Mission in Iraq tasked with investigating crimes committed by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da'esh).

Concern over ballistic missile programme and weapons transfers, as well as the re-imposition of sanctions by the United States must not be allowed to erase the benefits of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran’s nuclear programme, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs told the Security Council today.