Concluding its seventy-eighth session today, the Sixth Committee (Legal) approved without a vote 16 draft resolutions, one draft decision and a draft letter, as speakers, welcoming the opening of the Trusteeship’s curtains, also expressed diverging views on the Committee’s tradition of consensus.

Everyone in Ukraine must have complete freedom to manifest and practice their religion or belief, a senior UN official told the Security Council today as she detailed restrictions on religious freedom and threats to the safety of religious communities in the country and called on both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to ensure that fundamental human right.

The following statement was issued today by the Bureau of the General Assembly’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People:

On 7 November 2023, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti held a briefing to Member States during which the Panel of Experts briefed on its final report dated 15 September 2023 (S/2023/674).

Sudan is facing a humanitarian and human rights disaster as warring sides intensify fighting in the country, and there is a need for a sustained international commitment to resolving the crisis, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.

The UN is now seeking $173 million to support communities through March 2024 affected by the impact of three earthquakes that struck Herat province in west Afghanistan last month. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports 275,00 people have been affected, up from an initial estimate of 114,000 people.

On 1 November 2023, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) held informal consultations to consider the final report of the Panel of Experts, submitted pursuant to paragraph 3 of resolution 2675 (2023).

With a unified sense of purpose, delegates in the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today rallied around the Secretary-General’s proposal for measures against racism and racial discrimination in the United Nations Secretariat, calling for resource and personnel funding for establishing an anti-racism office and supporting the Special Adviser on Addressing Racism in the Workplace, as well as an immediate end to inequitable geographical representation of staff positions, particularly Professional and higher categories, in the Organization.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its work today, approving 11 draft resolutions on issues ranging from the rights of the child and protection of migrants to the elimination of racism and programmes involving youth.

With increased violent conflicts around the world and heightened scrutiny of the Security Council’s actions as a result, the General Assembly met today for its annual debate on how to reform the 15-nation organ, with speakers reiterating their calls to make it more representative, transparent and accountable in order to address the most serious threats to international peace and security.