The proliferation and stockpiling of illicit weapons continue to threaten international peace and security, exacerbating the plight of civilians in strife-torn countries worldwide, the senior United Nations disarmament official told the Security Council today.
Calling for swift remedies to mend a fractured non-proliferation landscape, nuclear-weapon-free States demanded an immediate end to deterrence policies and the start of dismantling atomic arsenals, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) moved into the third day of its general debate.
Petitioners addressing the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) took a range of positions on the long‑standing question of Western Sahara today, with some decrying the situation as a “rationalization of colonialism”, even as others cited high turnout in a recent legislative election as evidence of the population’s willingness to take part in Morocco’s democratic processes.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on the situation in Ethiopia, today:
Matthew Hollingworth, Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim in South Sudan condemned a letter, reportedly from a youth group in Pibor, demanding that at least 30 humanitarian workers leave the area within 72 hours. More than 80 humanitarian workers were relocated and non-life-saving aid activities suspended for 48 hours.
Special Procedure Mandate Holders underscored the importance of digital inclusion today, as delegates in the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) tackled the many ways the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened social inequities among persons with disabilities and older adults.
Creating nuclear-weapon-free zones is even more urgent as the major powers continue to develop arsenals that threaten the existence of humanity, delegates told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today, as it continued its general debate.
United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Staffan de Mistura of Italy as his Personal Envoy for Western Sahara.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown the world how ill-equipped it is to handle crises, needing new approaches to tackle health and climate change, as well as vaccine inequality, the digital divide and unequal access to education, Professor Mariana Mazzucato told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today, as it began its general debate.
The Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf will hold its fifty‑third session from 6 October to 23 November 2021. This is the first session of the Commission convened since the onset of the COVID‑19 pandemic. It will be held in‑person at United Nations Headquarters with the necessary risk‑mitigating measures in place.
