The following statement by Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

While delegates largely agreed that new universal legally binding regulations must tackle new and emerging security threats online and in outer space, they exchanged divergent views on how best to do so amid an environment of eroding international trust in both domains, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) continued its thematic debates on these and other issues.

As the Sixth Committee (Legal) began its consideration of the International Law Commission report today, speakers addressed the first of three clusters of topics, critiquing the Commission’s working methods and offering competing views about the future of draft articles and conclusions on “Crimes against humanity” and “Peremptory norms of general international law” (jus cogens).

The Government of Zambia, the United Nations and partners launched a response plan after the poorest rainfall in decades is expected to leave 2.4 million severely food insecure.  Meanwhile, humanitarian partners in Somalia and South Sudan are scaling up responses to severe seasonal flooding that affected 1 million.

The following is the text of UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ video message to the World Radiocommunication Conference, in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt today:

Following is UN Secretary‑General António Guterres’ message, delivered by Rosemary A. DiCarlo, Under‑Secretary‑General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, to the XVIII Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Non‑Aligned Movement, in Baku today:

The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process underlined today the urgent need for preventive diplomacy to ensure a fair and lasting peace as “new dangerous flashpoints emerge” in the region.

Special Rapporteurs presented reports on human trafficking, internal displacement and modern slavery, with one warning that some 17 million children have been displaced by conflict and violence, as the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its interactive dialogues today.

Calling for more control of the flow of small arms and light weapons and enhanced regulations on autonomous weapons systems, delegates highlighted the damage done to communities around the world by a range of legal and illegal weaponry, as the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its thematic debate on conventional weapons.

The existence of two different pay scales in Geneva undermines the United Nations common system aimed at maintaining the same employment conditions across different duty stations, speakers warned today as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) began examining the role of the International Civil Service Commission (ICSC) in setting such standards.