Meetings Coverage

The Security Council this morning decided to authorize a temporary increase of 500 personnel for the military and police contingents of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), recalling its intention to do so to contribute to security before, during and after elections.

The Security Council this morning ended an arms embargo and other sanctions imposed on Sierra Leone during its brutal civil war, while, in a separate text, it extended the mandate for the Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the country (UNIPSIL) for one year, until 15 September 2011.

The question of the United Nations being able to effectively tackle entrenched global ills — from poverty and terrorism to conflict prevention and pandemic disease — hinged on whether the 192-member body would be brave enough to move beyond deadlock and oft-repeated positions of principle to truly defend its role as the premier centre for global decision-making, the President of the General Assembly stressed today at the end of that body’s week-long general debate.

Sierra Leone had made great strides from civil war to stability, but required continued international support in the coming critical period to ensure maintenance of stability and crucial economic advancement, the Secretary-General’s Executive Representative told the Security Council this morning.

Acting without a vote this afternoon, the Peacebuilding Commission adopted the draft review of the outcome of its 10 June 2009 High-level Special Session on Sierra Leone.

Conflict resolution and peacebuilding in places as diverse as the Middle East, Kashmir, Cyprus and the Balkans emerged as major themes as the General Assembly continued its annual general debate today, alongside calls for reforms to make the Security Council more representative of the United Nations membership, 65 years after the founding of the Organization.

The Security Council noted with concern today that terrorism continued to pose a serious threat to international peace and security, the enjoyment of human rights and the social and economic development of all Members States, while the threat had become more diffuse and terrorist acts motivated by intolerance or extremism had increased.

Amid their efforts to mitigate and adapt to the adverse, often destructive effects of climate change, individual countries were unable tackle the vast, far-reaching challenges alone, making it vital for the international community to develop a coordinated approach to the issue, leaders of small island developing States stressed today as the General Assembly continued its annual general debate.

Concerned about the sustainable development challenges facing small island developing States, and their uneven progress towards realizing the Millennium Development Goals, the General Assembly today urged international financial institutions to give them adequate access to concessionary financing for investment in sustainable development, and development partners to pay due attention to their unique vulnerabilities so they could recover economically.

Heads of State and Government called for the building of global solidarity through the United Nations to help resolve local conflicts as well as international crises, as the annual high-level debate at the General Assembly continued with its third day today.