Security Council

Major issues on the Security Council’s agenda in January would include Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, Nepal, Haiti and the Middle East, Ivan Barbalić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), President of the 15-member body for the month, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

On 22 December 2010, the Security Council Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee approved the deletion (de-listing) of the three entries specified below from its Consolidated List. The assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 1904 (2009) therefore no longer apply to the following individuals:

During its participation in the Security Council over the last two years, Mexico had focused on strengthening the role of conflict prevention and resolution; the promotion and protection of human rights and international humanitarian law; and enhancing transparency of the Council, the country’s Permanent Representative, Claude Heller, said today at Headquarters.

Ruhakana Rugunda, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations, called today for a greater focus by the Security Council on preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding as he surveyed a range of situations in Africa.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Susan Rice (United States):

Afghanistan’s transition to responsibility for its own security, governance and development, put into motion this year, would result in a realignment of aid but not the country’s abandonment, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for that country said today.

The Security Council decided this morning to establish the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals to finish the remaining tasks of the Tribunals for Rwanda and the Former Yugoslavia, and maintain their respective legacies.

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF), which has supervised the ceasefire between Israel and Syria since 1974, for the next sixth months, until 30 June 2011. Unanimously adopting resolution 1965 (2010), the Council also called for implementation of its resolution 338 (1973), which required immediate negotiations between the parties, aimed at establishing a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.

Expressing serious concern at continued fighting and condemning terrorist attacks by armed groups and foreign fighters, the Security Council today extended its authorization of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until 30 September 2011. Unanimously adopting resolution 1964 (2010) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Council requested the African Union to increase AMISOM’s force strength from the current mandated level of 8,000 troops to a maximum of 12,000.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Susan Rice (United States):