Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message, delivered by Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, to the twelfth Meeting of Heads of United Nations Police Components, in New York today:
The Security Council, meeting twice today independently from but concurrently with the General Assembly, elected four candidates to the International Court of Justice for nine‑year terms, beginning on 6 February 2018.
Meeting concurrently with the Security Council, the General Assembly today elected four judges from an initial pool of six candidates to the International Court of Justice for terms of nine years beginning 6 February 2018.
The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved six draft resolutions today, addressing free and fair elections, as well as migrants’ rights, while also taking up topics ranging from torture to terrorism.
Delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) voiced support today for a proposal by the Secretary‑General to undertake a $14.19 million modernization of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) premises in Santiago, Chile.
The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia and the Episcopal Conference of Colombia issued a joint press release highlighting the first month of ceasefire monitoring by the Government of Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN). The Mission has established 33 local or regional verification teams that are now operational.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved three draft resolutions on decolonization matters today, two by recorded vote, also concluding its general debate on Israel’s practices in occupied Arab territories.
Detailing two additional arrest warrants for grave crimes in Libya, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court reaffirmed to the Security Council today that her Office continued its crucial work in the strife-filled country, despite challenges arising from security constraints and insufficient resources.
An innovative debt-swap between the Russian Federation and Mozambique has unlocked $40 million, which will be used by World Food Programme (WFP) to provide school meals for 150,000 children in Mozambique over the next five years. The largest in WFP history, the debt-swap will free up new resources for development, as well as provide debt relief.
On 12 September 2017, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012) concerning Guinea-Bissau held informal consultations to consider the Secretary-General’s report on progress made with regards to stabilization and restoration of constitutional order in Guinea-Bissau, submitted pursuant paragraph 19 of resolution 2267 (2016).
