The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization Committee) approved its work programme for the seventy-seventh session of the General Assembly today, covering topics ranging from the decolonization of the 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories and United Nations peacekeeping operations, to the plight of Palestinian refugees and Israel’s practices in the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories, among other agenda items.

The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) of the United Nations General Assembly held its first meeting of the seventy-seventh session today, introducing the Bureau and approving its organization of work.

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

The Security Council renewed for another year its authorization for Member States to inspect vessels on the high seas off Libya’s coast that they have reasonable grounds to suspect are being used for migrant smuggling and human trafficking from that country, and to seize those vessels that are confirmed as being used for those purposes.

The United Nations Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide welcomed the opening of the trial against Félicien Kabuga before the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals in The Hague.  Mr. Kabuga, among other offenses, is charged with genocide and crimes against humanity, committed in Rwanda in 1994.

“Nuclear weapons are the most destructive power ever created — they offer no security, just carnage and chaos,” said António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, opening the plenary meeting to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. 

Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ message for World Habitat Day, observed on 3 October:

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

​​​​​​​Welcoming statements by the leaders of Israel and the State of Palestine during the seventy-seventh General Assembly session as a positive sign toward resuming the peace process, speakers in the Security Council today called for those words to be turned into action and progress be delivered on a two-State solution, especially in light continuing settlement activity and violence against civilians.

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