General Assembly: 102nd plenary meeting, 76th…

The General Assembly adopted today a series of resolutions without a vote, including one in which it affirms its willingness to examine all options for “adequate, predictable and sustainable” financing of United Nations peacebuilding activities, further deciding to establish a United Nations Office for Youth and convening a “Summit of the Future”, to be held on 22 and 23 September 2024 in New York.

Under the terms of the resolution on “Peacebuilding and sustaining peace”, (document A/76/L.86), the Assembly calls upon the Peacebuilding Commission to continue to strengthen the delivery of its advisory, bridging and convening mandate in support of resource mobilization for nationally owned peacebuilding priorities in the countries and regions under its consideration, and to continue to strengthen its working methods to enhance its efficiency and impact in support of peacebuilding and sustaining peace, in synergy with the Peacebuilding Fund.

By the text, the Assembly encourages all Member States and other partners to consider increasing their contributions to peacebuilding and sustaining peace activities in conflict-affected countries and regions, and stresses the importance of multi-year, flexible and risk-tolerant funding commitments, including pooled funding.

The Assembly further decided on the Establishment of the United Nations Youth Office (document A/76/L.85) as a dedicated office for youth affairs in the Secretariat, integrating the Office of the Envoy of the Secretary-General on Youth, following a submission of a detailed proposal on the operational functions, structure, resources and staffing of the new Youth Office, based on a thorough analysis of the resource needs of the Office and funding from the regular budget of the United Nations, and in this regard requests the Secretary-General to submit this proposal to the General Assembly, through its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), during the seventy-seventh session.

Also by its terms, the Office shall be led by a suitably qualified person, preferably under the age of 35 years, with a demonstrated commitment to youth issues, who shall be appointed by the Secretary-General at a senior-level position, in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations, with due regard to gender balance and geographical representation.

The Assembly further adopted a resolution on the “Modalities for the Summit of the Future” (document A/76/L.87) to be held on 22 and 23 September 2024 in New York, preceded by a preparatory ministerial meeting to be held on 18 September 2023.

By its terms, the Assembly decided that the Summit will adopt a concise, action-oriented outcome document titled “A Pact for the Future”, agreed in advance by consensus through intergovernmental negotiations.

The Assembly, however, decided not to convene the “Fourth Conference of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones and Mongolia” (document A/76/L.79), which was to be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 24 April 2020.

It also endorsed Secretary-General António Guterres’ proposal to appoint Volker Türk (Austria) as the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.  The delegations of Canada, Iran, Morocco and the United States in particular welcomed this appointment, while delegates of China, the Russian Federation and Iran voiced dissent on the work of the High Commissioner.

The General Assembly also decided to include the following items in the draft agenda of its seventy-seventh session, which begins on 13 September:  “2001‑2010:  Decade to Roll Back Malaria in Developing Countries development, particularly in Africa”; “Strengthening the role of mediation in the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prevention and resolution”; “Question of the Comorian island of Mayotte”; “Request for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal effects of the separation of the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius in 1965”; “Implementation of the resolutions of the United Nations”; “Cooperation between the United Nations and the Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries”; “Financing of the United Nations Mission in East Timor”; and “Situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine”.  The delegations of Estonia, Georgia, United States, Czech Republic, France and Ukraine welcomed the retention of this last item on the agenda of the General Assembly, while the Russian Federation deplored it.

At the start of the session, a minute of silence was observed in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who died today.