Following the conclusion of its discussion on the scale of assessments for the regular budget, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today took up the scale of assessments for determining Member States’ contributions in 2010-2012 for the peacekeeping operations budget, the first such review in nine years. Delegates expressed concern at an anomaly in the determination process that caused a number of developing countries to be assessed at the same level as developed economies.

This is the text of a statement issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

Stars of the ABC television comedy series Ugly Betty will join representatives from the United Nations and the United Nations Foundation’s “Nothing But Nets” campaign at a press conference on Thursday, 8 October 2009, at 1:00 p.m. at United Nations Headquarters (Room 226) to discuss how the cast and crew of the show are starting the new season by helping to raise awareness about malaria.

Just one nuclear weapon exploded in one major city could kill hundreds of thousands and destabilize society, economies and ways of life, and halting their spread and preventing nuclear terrorism should be a shared responsibility because no single nation, no matter how powerful, could do that alone, the United States representative told the Disarmament Committee today.

The questions of New Caledonia, the United States Virgin Islands and Western Sahara were the focus of discussions this afternoon in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), as it continued its general debate on decolonization issues, hearing from representatives of Non-Self-Governing Territories and petitioners.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) this afternoon took up the question of measures to eliminate international terrorism, Mexico’s representative on behalf of the Rio Group of countries was one of many delegations calling for a finalization of the comprehensive convention on terrorism as a way to strengthen the effectiveness of existing mechanisms.

Closely linked to climate change, the global food crisis was a wake-up call for the international community to revitalize agricultural production and trade, while rectifying systemic imbalances in those areas, several speakers said today, as the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) continued its general debate.

Reinforcing the well-being of the world’s youth was not just a question of basic rights, but should be a key strategy in bolstering the vitality of the global village, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) was told today, as it concluded its discussion on social development.

In the General Assembly today, Member States threw their support behind the Secretary-General’s push to inject multilateralism with the renewed vigour it needs to combat today’s global crises.