As the Sixth Committee (Legal) began its consideration of the International Law Commission report today, speakers tackled the first of three clusters of topics, including the chapters on “Peremptory norms of general international law (jus cogens)”, “Protection of the environment in relation to armed conflicts”, “Introductory Chapters” and “Other decisions and conclusions of the Commission”.

The Middle East could not continue to sit idly by with its hands tied while ignoring the severity of the region’s deteriorating security situation, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today, as it concluded its thematic debate on regional security and started consideration of the disarmament aspects of outer space.

Syria must respond urgently to complete all outstanding issues on the elimination of its chemical weapons programme in line with international law, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, citing the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Technical Secretariat’s evaluation that the country’s declarations still have not advanced.

In the face of ongoing multidimensional crises, the five Regional Commissions of the United Nations system are more critical than ever in halting lost gains and urgently putting developing States back on the right track, the heads of those bodies told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today.

Against the backdrop of political stalemate and a worsening security and humanitarian situation, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, briefing the Security Council today, called on all parties to protect civilians and to strive for a complete nationwide ceasefire as the Syrian people inch towards another winter surrounded by armed conflict.

In Haiti, suspected cholera cases have doubled over the past few days to nearly 2,000. In Cité Soleil, the outbreak’s epicentre, the United Nations Children’s Fund has begun delivering potable water to 1,000 people and the World Food Programme brought food to 6,000 of the most vulnerable people over the weekend.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today sent the General Assembly for its adoption a draft resolution that would appropriate $131.345 million from the 2022 programme budget to run the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres arrived in Washington, D.C., from New York early on Friday morning, 14 October, to attend the annual shareholders meeting of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

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

Conventional arms, the so-called “weapons of limited destruction”, claimed hundreds of thousands of lives around the globe each year, and their horrendous impact was widespread and devastating for humanity, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today, concluding its thematic debate on conventional weapons and opening its discussion on other disarmament measures and international security, as well as on regional security.