As the Sixth Committee (Legal) concluded its review of the second cluster of topics from the International Law Commission’s annual report, many speakers underscored the need for developing clear definitions of concepts and terms in both the settlement of disputes to which international organizations are parties and the prevention and repression of piracy and armed robbery at sea.

During a time of staggering displacement, conflict and violence, the growing workload of the Human Rights Council reflects the importance and relevance of its work, its President said, as the General Assembly today took up the intergovernmental body’s annual report.

The General Assembly today continued its emergency session on the situation in the Middle East, with many Member States echoing urgent calls for a humanitarian ceasefire and the provision of adequate aid to civilians in Gaza.

The General Assembly would establish two open-ended working groups related to the prevention of an arms race in outer space, according to overlapping draft resolutions approved today by the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), which had delegations warning that parallel processes would lead to further polarization and fragmentation of efforts to preserve space security.

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed’s remarks on the occasion of the opening of the pre-twenty-eighth Conference of the parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), in Abu Dhabi today:

The following statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

In Ukraine, an Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs official, briefing the Security Council today, said that more than 9,900 civilians have been killed since the start of the invasion and damage to infrastructure continues to impact civilians’ access to electricity, heating, water and telecommunications.

On 19 October 2023, and in pursuance of paragraph 5 of resolution 2664 (2022), a representative of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), on behalf of the Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan on the delivery of life-saving assistance and other activities that support essential human needs in South Sudan.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ peace message remarks, in Lumbini, Nepal today:

Following the Secretary-General’s strategic review of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the Security Council today extended until 31 October 2024 the Mission’s mandate and tasks, as set out in resolutions 2158 (2014) and 2592 (2021).