GA Third Cttee opens debate – Press release (excerpts)

Third Committee

1^st & 2^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

Warning that multiple global crises would likely pose “serious challenges to the social development agenda”, Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, encouraged the first meeting of the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) not to lose sight of human rights considerations as it tackled its agenda for the year, which encompassed the advancement of women, children’s issues, indigenous issues, racism, the situation of refugees and crime.

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Next, the Committee decided to extend an invitation to the following Special Procedures mandate holders of the Human Rights Council and Chairpersons of treaty bodies or working groups:  DUBRAVKA SIMONOVIC, Chairperson of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women; YANGHEE LEE, Chairperson of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; ASMA JAHANGIR, Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief; MARTIN SCHEININ, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights while countering terrorism; MARIA MAGDALENA SEPULVEDA, Independent Expert on the question of human rights and extreme poverty; TOMAS OJEA QUINTANA , Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar; VITIT MUNTARBHORN, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; RICHARD FALK, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; and MANFRED NOWAK, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

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MAJDI RAMADAN ( Lebanon) …

…He added that an enabling international environment was also necessary for social development and that certain actions by the Government of Israel in the Middle East region were impeding social development in certain areas.