The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today approved 14 draft resolutions concerning decolonization, as well as another on assistance in mine action and a decision on the body’s future programme of work, as members completed their work for the main part of the General Assembly’s seventy‑sixth session.
Taking up draft resolutions relating to topics discussed over its recent weeks of substantive work, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today approved six texts concerning Israeli-Palestinian issues and eight on decolonization matters — as well as six additional drafts on various subjects — to be forwarded to the General Assembly for adoption.
As the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) concluded its general debate today, several delegates called on the Committee to revise its outdated approaches to the questions of Palestine and Western Sahara, while others voiced varying assessments of the work of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Delegates in the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today weighed the actions and responsibilities of the world’s remaining administering Powers, with some calling for stepped up efforts to support Non‑Self‑Governing Territories on their quest to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as members continued their annual general debate.
Ensuring the safety and proper resourcing of United Nations ‘Blue Helmets’ is key to the successful implementation of peacekeeping mandates, delegates said today, while also underscoring that civilian protection must remain a core focus during mission drawdowns and transitions, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate.
Delegates addressing the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today urged the administering Powers of the world’s 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories to complete the longstanding decolonization process, with speakers also citing a range of additional territorial disputes, as members continued their general debate.
Emphasizing the need to bridge the technological divide between developed and developing countries in the peaceful uses of outer space, delegates called for more capacity‑building activities and technology sharing in that arena, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate today.
Delegates touched on a range of topics as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate today, with some calling for collective action to end Israel’s impunity in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and others urging the United Nations to redouble its efforts to achieve true multilingualism, especially in the wake of the COVID‑19 pandemic.
Against the backdrop of profound anxiety wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic and escalating global challenges, the President of the General Assembly today urged Member States to “leave behind the uglier aspects of our history, from conflict to colonialism” and unite around a better future, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) began its annual general debate.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), in a virtual meeting today, heard introductory statements and held an interactive discussion with senior officials on questions related to United Nations peacekeeping operations.
United Nations initiatives to counter disinformation — especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic — and to provide populations around the globe with reliable and evidence-based content, were among several topics spotlighted today as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) took up questions relating to information.
Officials and delegates highlighted increasingly complex mandates shouldered by United Nations special political missions, even amid continued budgetary constraints, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard introductory statements and questions on that topic today.
Petitioners speaking today on the question of Western Sahara cited court judgments and advisory opinions on Morocco’s relationship to the Territory, while others continued to sound alarms over human rights violations reportedly committed there, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) concluded its hearing of petitioners on decolonization matters.
Petitioners described human rights violations faced by women in Sahrawi refugee camps, as the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its hearing of petitioners on the question of Western Sahara today in the context of its consideration of items related to decolonization.
Petitioners addressing the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) took a range of positions on the long‑standing question of Western Sahara today, with some decrying the situation as a “rationalization of colonialism”, even as others cited high turnout in a recent legislative election as evidence of the population’s willingness to take part in Morocco’s democratic processes.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) today heard introductory statements and held interactive discussions on the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and the Special Committee tasked with investigating Israeli practices affecting human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, while also beginning its consideration of agenda items related to the issue of decolonization.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) elected Egriselda Aracely González López (El Salvador) as Chair on 7 June 2021. (See Press Release GA/12332.)
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved today its work programme for the seventy‑sixth session of the General Assembly, which covers topics ranging from decolonization of the 17 remaining Non‑Self‑Governing Territories and United Nations peacekeeping operations, to the plight of Palestine refugees and Israel’s practices in the occupied Palestinian and other Arab territories.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), acting without a vote today, approved a resolution endorsing the latest report of the 34-member Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations — including a raft of recommendations related to mandates, protection and peacekeeper conduct and safety — thereby forwarding them to the General Assembly for adoption.
The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) approved 22 draft resolutions and one draft decision concerning decolonization today, as it completed its work for the main part of the General Assembly’s seventy-fifth session.
