Amid the COVID‑19 pandemic, the role played by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is more urgent than ever, delegates said today, calling for solutions to its financial crisis as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its joint general debate.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) continued its debate on the rule of law at the national and international levels today, the Assistant Secretary‑General for Strategic Coordination introduced the Secretary‑General’s report on the topic, describing the challenges of promoting the rule of law and fighting corruption in the face of emerging realities such as the COVID‑19 pandemic.
The First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) concluded its general debate today amid warnings that transnational criminal organizations and terrorist groups are driving illicit arms transfers and weaponizing cyberspace while geopolitical tensions increase the risk of nuclear escalation.
As the Sixth Committee (Legal) concluded its debate on strengthening and promoting the international treaty framework today, speakers highlighted the importance of developing online tools to facilitate the treaty process and the need to correct the geographic imbalance in the registration of these instruments.
Delegates expressed concerns today about the impact of the worsening United Nations liquidity crisis on peace operations and special political missions supporting transitions, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its joint general debate on a range of topics.
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.
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 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.
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.
