This may be “the last chance” to achieve a two-State solution — the creation of independent Israel and Palestine coexisting peacefully side by side — a United Nations mediator told the Security Council today, as it considered the fragile ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the first phase of which is set to expire on 1 March.
“It is high time for peace in Ukraine,” a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as Member States echoed that call and outlined contrasting visions of ending the three-year conflict.
Three years after the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the General Assembly today adopted two resolutions reaffirming Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the United Nations Charter. While Member States broadly agreed on the urgent need to end the war, they differed on the best path to achieving peace.
Stressing that the Organization’s key asset is its staff, many delegates of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today emphasized the pressure that the ongoing liquidity crisis is having on efforts to rejuvenate the Organization and attract and retain talent from all parts of the world.
As the Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine entered its fourth year, the Security Council today adopted a resolution mourning the tragic loss of life and reiterating that the principal purpose of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security and peacefully settle disputes.
The Security Council today strongly condemned ongoing offensives by the 23 March Movement, or M23, in the North and South Kivu provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, deciding that M23 shall immediately cease hostilities, withdraw from areas it controls and fully reverse the establishment of illegitimate parallel administrations in that country’s territory.
The Central African Republic has made significant progress towards the 2025 elections, the head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country told the Security Council today, while also noting overall security improvements and persistent fragility in border areas.
Amid rising regional tensions and the continuous advance of the 23 March Movement, or M23, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, senior UN officials told the Security Council today that the warring parties must return to the negotiating table and seriously work towards peace, while also welcoming regional efforts to resolve the conflict.
Libya’s leaders and security actors are prioritizing political and personal gain over national interests, the United Nations’ top political official told the Security Council today, as the country’s delegate blamed proxy wars for its instability.
In an ever-shifting security landscape, ensuring sufficient funding, technology and training, and promoting gender equality in peacekeeping operations while also recognizing the importance of safeguarding vulnerable populations in conflict zones is more critical than ever, speakers told the opening of the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations, which also marked 60 years since its establishment.
