Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the pre-Conference of the Parties Dinner, in Nadi, Fiji, today:
Despite the overall negative trajectory that had characterized the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict for far too long, there were reasons for cautious optimism, the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs told the Security Council today as the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, was addressed in an all‑day debate that heard from more than forty speakers.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for United Nations Day, to be observed on 24 October:
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the heinous and cowardly terrorist attacks that took place in Paktia, Ghazni and Kabul on 17 October, which resulted in more than 70 people killed and over 200 wounded, for which the Taliban has claimed responsibility.
Experts stressed the need for preventive measures and accessible remedies to mitigate wide‑ranging challenges to human rights, the Sustainable Development Goals and global stability, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) held a series of interactive dialogues today.
Speakers stressed the need to increase official development assistance (ODA), build infrastructure, widen export bases and stimulate trade in least developed and landlocked developing countries, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) took up groups of countries today.
Amid reforms to end fragmentation of the United Nations system, it was crucial to maintain sufficient funding for the Secretary‑General’s representatives working to make the Organization’s operational activities more efficient and effective at the country level, delegates said today as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) examined the proposed 2018‑2019 cost‑sharing arrangement and financing of the Resident Coordinator system.
Amid fears of an arms race in outer space, coupled with the transformation of that domain into a zone of conflict, several speakers in the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) warned today against its misuse, with some calling for new laws and mechanisms to hold perpetrators accountable.
On 17 October 2017, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan enacted the amendments specified with strikethrough and underline in the entry below on its Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the travel ban and assets freeze set out in paragraph 3 of Security Council resolution 1591 (2005) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.
Irina Bokova, Executive Director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, condemned today the killing of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta yesterday. She welcomed the Prime Minister’s pledge to ensure justice in the crime against the right of free expression.
