6 months ago
Conference on Disarmament Holds First Plenary Meeting under the Presidency of Brazil
16 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Conference on Disarmament this morning held its first plenary meeting under the Presidency of Ambassador Gonçalo Mello Maurão of Brazil, hearing statements on the draft programme of work by Pakistan, Cuba, Netherlands, Russian Federation, Mexico, France, Syria, United States and Germany, as well as a general statement by Egypt.
In opening remarks, Ambassador Mello Maurão said the burden for this Presidency was heavy as it seemed that even though everything had been done, the Conference had not been able to advance its work. This matter, however…
6 months ago
Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women opens seventy-eighth online session
15 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women this afternoon opened its remote seventy-eighth session, hearing a statement by Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights and representative of the Secretary-General. The Committee also adopted its agenda and organization of work.
Ms. Brands Kehris said that as a former treaty body member, she was fully aware of the Committee’s great responsibility and of the many challenges facing the treaty body system, especially in the context of the COVID-19…
6 months ago
CONCLUDING SPECIAL SESSION ON MYANMAR, HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DEPLORES REMOVAL OF ELECTED GOVERNMENT
15 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Council today adopted a resolution in which it deplored the removal of the Government elected by the people of Myanmar in the general election held on 8 November 2020, and the suspension of mandates of members of all parliaments, and called for the restoration of the elected Government.
In a resolution A/HRC/S-297l.1 on the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar, adopted without a vote, the Council deplored the removal of the Government elected by the people of Myanmar in the general election held on 8…
6 months ago
Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights opens remote sixty-ninth session
15 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights today opened its remote sixty-ninth session, hearing opening remarks by Peggy Hicks, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Renato Zerbini Ribeiro Leão, Chair of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, in his opening remarks, said he was glad the Committee was able to continue its work despite the pandemic.
Ms. Hicks said COVID-19 had revealed and exacerbated…
6 months ago
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL CALLS FOR RELEASE OF ALL ARBITRARILY DETAINED PERSONS IN MYANMAR, AND LIFTING OF STATE OF EMERGENCY
12 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Council this afternoon adopted a resolution in which it called urgently for the immediate and unconditional release of all persons arbitrarily detained in Myanmar, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint and others, and the lifting of the state of emergency.
In a resolution A/HRC/S-29/L.1 on the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar, adopted without a vote, the Council deplored the removal of the Government elected by the people of Myanmar in the general…
6 months ago
Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights to the Special Session of the Human Rights Council on Myanmar: Seizure of Power by the Military Constitutes a Profound Setback for Myanmar
12 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Human Rights Council this morning opened its special session on “the human rights implications of the crisis in Myanmar”, hearing the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights say that the seizure of power by the Myanmar military constituted a profound setback for the country, after a decade of hard-won gains in its democratic transition.
Nada Al-Nashif, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Myanmar’s democratically elected political…
6 months 1 week ago
Member States of the Conference on Disarmament do not Reach Consensus on a Revised Draft Package on a Programme of Work for 2021
10 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Conference on Disarmament this morning continued to hear statements on the revised draft package on a programme of work for 2021 but did not reach consensus on it.
Ambassador Marc Pecsteen of Belgium, President of the Conference on Disarmament, introducing the revised proposal which had been circulated electronically on Friday, 5 February, said that several delegations had stretched their flexibility to great lengths, an effort for which the P6 was grateful. He asked all those present to show a spirit…
6 months 2 weeks ago
Committee on the Rights of the Child Closes Online Limited Eighty-Sixth Session
04 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Committee on the Rights of the Child this afternoon closed its online limited eighty-sixth session, which started on 18 January.
Luis Ernesto Pedernera Reyna, Chairperson of the Committee, said that this online session had been particularly difficult because of technical issues, as well as the loss of members of the secretariat. The Committee members had all worked very hard to deal with the situation in which they found themselves without receiving support in terms of working conditions and responses to their proposals. During the session, 24…
6 months 2 weeks ago
Conference on Disarmament continues to hear statements on revised draft programme of work for 2021 and on renewal of New Start Treaty
04 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Conference on Disarmament this afternoon continued to hear statements on the revised draft package on its programme of work for 2021 and on the renewal of the New START Treaty.
The following delegations took the floor to support the renewal of the New Start Treaty: India, Norway, Mexico, Indonesia, Slovakia, Algeria, Venezuela and Poland.
Speaking on the revised draft package on the programme of work were: India, Norway, Mexico, Indonesia, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Algeria, Venezuela, Poland…
6 months 2 weeks ago
Conference on Disarmament hears statements on extension of New Start Treaty and discusses its revised draft programme of work for 2021
04 February 2021
Meeting Summaries
The Conference on Disarmament this morning heard statements by the United States, the Russian Federation and more than 20 countries on the extension of the New START Treaty, and then discussed the Presidency’s revised draft package on the 2021 programme of work of the Conference.
The United States said that the United States and the Russian Federation had extended the New START Treaty, which was manifestly in the security interest of the United States, its allies, and the global community. Its…
