The General Assembly today adopted a resolution committed to a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse throughout the United Nations, stressing the importance of States holding perpetrators accountable.
Twenty million people across four countries faced starvation and famine if the international community did not act quickly, the United Nations humanitarian chief warned the Security Council today, expressing alarm at the funding gap to meet the needs in Yemen, South Sudan, Somalia and north-eastern Nigeria.
Delegates questioned the nature of proposed additional travel and consultancy costs for the United Nations first-ever conference on migration, scheduled for 2018, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) examined reports detailing the event’s budget requirements.
The Security Council met for its debate on Afghanistan this morning, during which it renewed the mandate for the United Nations Mission there (UNAMA). The Secretary-General’s Special Representative highlighted the challenging security environment in the country, which in 2016 resulted in UNAMA recording the highest number of civilian casualties in a single year.
Condemning the recent surge in “abhorrent” terrorist attacks across Afghanistan — including one that killed 30 people at a Kabul military hospital on 8 March — speakers in the Security Council today urged that country’s international partners to deepen their cooperation, target terrorist sanctuaries and help to build up the capacity of the National Unity Government.
Delegates urged greater application of United Nations policies to crack down on fraud and corruption and results-based management, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today examined progress in establishing an accountability system in the United Nations Secretariat.
Following is UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed’s briefing to the Security Council on the Lake Chad Basin, in New York today:
The political crisis in Burundi continued to deepen amid serious human rights violations, mass displacements of people and economic degradation, senior officials told the Security Council today, warning that any attempt by President Pierre Nkurunziza to seek a fourth term risked undermining collective efforts to find a sustainable solution.
The Secretary-General’s new report “Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: A New Approach” focuses on victims’ rights and dignity; more transparent reporting and investigation; multi-stakeholder network support for prevention and response efforts; raising awareness and sharing best practices.
Briefing on the heels of the Security Council’s recent visit to Africa’s Lake Chad Basin — beset by development challenges, looming famine and the brutal tactics of Boko Haram — the mission’s co-Chairs emphasized today the need for an enhanced and holistic response to the subregion’s largely neglected crisis.
