The Security Council, expressing its deep concern over allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse by United Nations peacekeepers, today asked the Secretary-General to replace all military or police units from any contributing country that had failed to hold perpetrators accountable.
Briefing the Security Council today, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon laid out a number of steps to address “the shameful issue” of sexual exploitation and abuse by peacekeepers, amid disagreement over a draft resolution aimed at addressing the matter.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved a draft resolution supporting the Board of Auditors’ recommendations concerning the renovation of the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva and the Organization’s handling of information and communications technology affairs.
As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) considered the topic of accountability today in its review of the Organization’s efficiency in administrative and financial functioning, speakers welcomed achievements and acknowledged areas where further progress was needed.
The United Nations must uphold the very international labour practices it supported by ensuring that those working within the system were fairly treated and compensated during and after their service, the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) heard today during its consideration of a range of human resources issues.
The United Nations humanitarian chief, in a briefing to the Security Council, called today for greater international pressure on the parties to the conflict in Yemen in order to better protect civilians, facilitate relief access to all parts of the country, and encourage the resumption of peace talks and a cessation of hostilities.
The Security Council today condemned in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on 6 January 2016 “in violation and flagrant disregard” of the relevant resolutions, its actions thereby constituting a challenge to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to peace and stability in the region and beyond.
With Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) a growing threat to Libya, as well as the wider region and beyond, the fight against violent extremism in that country could only be sustainable if it was led by a national unity Government, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative there told the Security Council today.
Determining that the situation in South Sudan remained a threat to regional peace and security, the Security Council today renewed until 15 April sanctions — including a travel ban and asset freeze — imposed by resolution 2206 (2015) and directed at those blocking peace in the country.
The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) opened the first part of its resumed seventieth session today with a review of its 2016 provisional work programme, the 2016-2017 programme budget for the United Nations resilience management system and the role of the Joint Inspection Unit, among other matters.
