The representative of the United States today rejected as “patently false and downright insulting” suggestions that her country is responsible for the United Nations liquidity crisis, while other speakers urged those Member States with the capacity to do so to pay their assessments in full and on time, as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) took up the question of improving the Organization’s financial situation.

Multilateralism and international cooperation are needed to ensure less developed countries can adequately address the enormous challenges posed by the COVID‑19 pandemic, experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, as delegates engaged with them in animated virtual discussions covering the right to development and the use of unilateral coercive measures.

Highlighting the frighteningly easy availability of illegal guns and bombs, delegates cautioned that the unless tighter controls stemmed their spread, attacks on civilians and violence would flourish, spilling across cities and borders, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its general debate.

As the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its joint general debate, some speakers urged the Organization to fulfil its commitment to decolonization at the close of another United Nations Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism, while others called for an end to Israel’s impunity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

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

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Vassily Nebenzia (Russian Federation):

The United Nations migration agency and the African Union launched their first‑ever report on African migration, showing that present-day African migration takes place mainly by land, not by sea, and that migrants’ destinations are overwhelmingly each other’s countries and not Europe or North America.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) tackled broad questions of torture, counter‑terrorism and judicial independence today, as delegates engaged with United Nations experts in addressing eroded prison conditions, underfunding of the treaty body system, and at times, outright denial of international humanitarian law, frequently triggered by COVID‑19.

The new Permanent Representative of Cuba to the United Nations, Pedro Luis Pedroso Cuesta, presented his credentials to the Secretariat today.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) took up the Secretary‑General’s annual reports on the administration of justice at the United Nations today, speakers welcomed the increased number of cases disposed by the Dispute Tribunal, while also highlighting the work of the Management Evaluation Unit in resolving issues before they proceeded to litigation.