Peace and security can never be achieved by “wiping out Gaza” or by crushing the skulls of infants and shedding the blood of children, the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine told a special meeting of the Palestinian Rights Committee today to observe the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People.
General Assembly
Opening a day-long meeting on the question of Palestine, the General Assembly President warned that the longer the fear, distrust, appetite for revenge, hatred and anxiety fester and further deepen, the more lethal the psychological chasm grows, and the darker the shadow it will cast over generations to come.
Speakers requested more details as the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today considered the Secretariat’s request for a $2.56 million infusion of capital to establish 19 new posts in the Department of Safety and Security in 2024, while also supporting proposed funding to keep the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia running smoothly next year.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today concluded its seventy-eighth session, approving nine draft resolutions and two draft decisions on a range of topics, voting on a draft addressing international tax cooperation.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today approved 16 resolutions on a range of topics, from information and communications technologies for sustainable development to agriculture development, food security and nutrition, with 14 of the texts approved by consensus.
Recognizing and advocating the importance of a rancour-free and non-retaliatory work environment made possible by amicably mediated disputes, delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today called for sustained efforts in entrenching the principles of accountability, due process and the rule of law at the United Nations, at the same time strengthening these processes to also accommodate non-staff personnel.
In an unusual move, the General Assembly today voted on a draft resolution, annually adopted by consensus, on sport as an enabler for sustainable development, in a meeting during which most delegations displayed broad agreement that the Olympic and Paralympic Games can be a “game changer” by bringing people together and serving as a powerful engine for economic growth.
The Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today approved 15 resolutions, voting on 3 of them, including a text by which the General Assembly would request the Secretary-General to further encourage the United Nations Coalition on Combating Sand and Dust Storms to conduct its priority activities as identified by the Coalition’s five working groups: knowledge-sharing, capacity-building, training, awareness-raising and support.
Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today urged the Secretariat to bolster its budget and financial management activities after considering more than a dozen reports issued by the United Nations top auditing watchdog as part of its annual review of the Organization’s finances.
The General Assembly today filled vacancies in the Committee for Programme and Coordination, the main subsidiary body of the Assembly and the Economic and Social Council for such work, and in the Committee on Conferences, which advises the Assembly on matters pertaining to the organization of United Nations conferences.