[JURIST] The United Nations General Assembly [official website] on Thursday adopted three draft resolutions to reinforce the UN’s emergency humanitarian response. The drafts were adopted without a vote, and they concerned international cooperation on humanitarian assistance in the field of natural disasters, emphasizing the civilian character of humanitarian relief and encouraged the UN to prioritize the management of risks. The draft resolution was introduced by Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz [official profile], the representative of Bolivia speaking for the “Group of 77” [official website] developing countries and China. The draft resolutions also discussed the extension of judicial terms in the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] and the reappointment of Prosecutors for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia.

Earlier this week the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein expressed deep regret [JURIST report] at the lifting of the moratorium on the death penalty in Pakistan and Jordan [JURIST report] in recent days, stressing that no judiciary can be infallible. Last month the UN General Assembly urged the Security Council to call on the ICC to investigate allegations against North Korea for crimes against humanity [JURIST report]. In October a UN rights expert said that the increase in the use of armed drones in domestic law enforcement may violate human rights [JURIST report].