​​​​​​​Concluding its seventy-seventh session today, the Sixth Committee (Legal) upheld its tradition of consensus and approved without a vote 12 draft resolutions, a draft decision and a draft letter, even as some delegates spotlighted the emerging trend of that mechanism’s failure to adequately represent substantive — albeit diverging — discussions in the Committee concerning the future of international law.

In a report published ahead of World Children’s Day, marked on 20 November, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) noted that racism and discrimination against children based on their ethnicity, language and religion are rife in countries across the world.

​​​​​​​As the General Assembly today concluded its discussion on Security Council reform, Member States once again broadly agreed on the need to modernize the 15-member body to maintain the relevance of the United Nations in the twenty-first century but diverged over the appropriate use of the Council’s veto authority, especially in instances of mass atrocities. 

​​​​​​​The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

​​​​​​​Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, observed on 25 November:

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message, delivered by High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu, to the Dublin adoption ceremony of the Political Declaration on Strengthening the Protection of Civilians from the Humanitarian Consequences Arising from the Use of Explosive Weapons in Populated Areas, in Dublin today:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the fifth International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) World Congress, in Melbourne today:

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) approved 12 draft resolutions as it concluded its work today, including texts addressing the right of peoples to self-determination, racism, xenophobia and related intolerance, and the world drug problem.

The General Assembly opened its annual debate on Security Council reform today, with speakers once again renewing their appeals for enlarging the 15-member organ and updating its working methods to make it more transparent, inclusive, representative, accountable and effective in a world gripped by a cascade of interlocking crises.

​​​​​​​To enforce the arms embargo on Somalia, the Security Council decided today to reauthorize maritime interdiction of illicit weapons imports, charcoal exports, and improvised explosive device components, while also renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts on Somalia.