Self-governance and multilateral support are critical to fulfilling the aims of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today in a half‑day discussion on the matter.
Calling for access to education and eliminating child labour, as well as bolstering equal treatment for women in the labour market, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) concluded its debates on children’s rights and women’s advancement today.
With children’s aspirations still falling short of global commitments to improve their well‑being, and some calling those pledges a “distant dream”, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) continued its debate on children’s rights today amid urgent appeals that they be central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Children on the move must be better protected from detention, family separation and violence, United Nations experts told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today in one of many appeals for Governments to safeguard the rights of boys and girls around the world.
With the #MeToo rallying cry at full volume, calls to bring the perpetrators of sexual assault to justice have broken the code of silence plaguing survivors for too long, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today as it continued its debate on the advancement of women amid appeals for Governments, schools and board rooms to root out abuse.
The world is at a “moment of opportunity” in eliminating violence against women and girls, UN-Women Deputy Executive Director Åsa Regnér told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today, calling for “unqualified” support for a strengthened feminist movement.
As terrorism becomes more intertwined with organized crime, human trafficking and corruption, no border of the world is untouched by the illicit drug trade, delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today during their annual debate on crime prevention, criminal justice and international drug control.
Given young people’s demographic weight, their voices should be amplified at the national and international levels, young delegates told the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) today as it concluded its general discussion on social development.
Painting a picture of the obstacles to social development — economic inequality, social injustice, racism and issues affecting the rights of older persons — the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) opened its session today, with delegates calling for a greater international response to the needs of the world’s most vulnerable.
The Third Committee (Social Humanitarian and Cultural) elected Mahmoud Saikal (Afghanistan) as Chair on 5 June.
