Noon Briefings

The Secretary-General unequivocally condemned the underground test announced by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, saying it violates Security Council resolutions, contravenes the international norm against nuclear testing and is profoundly destabilizing to regional security.

The Secretary-General condemns yesterday’s attack against the Israel Defense Forces, in the general area of the Sheba’a Farms, south of the Blue Line, which was claimed by Hizbullah.  He calls on all parties to maintain the cessation of hostilities and ensure full respect for Security Council resolution 1701 (2006).

The mission in the Central African Republic reports that the National Elections Authority released partial provisional results based on votes cast in eight prefectures and 15 per cent of those cast outside the country.  Final results are expected by week’s end and Constitutional Court confirmation by 15 January.

The Secretary-General thanked the General Assembly late last night for adopting by consensus the 2016-2017 programme budget for the United Nations, which he said reflects the difficult global financial reality of shrinking funds while demands on the Organization continue to grow.

In a press statement the Security Council expressed its strong commitment to supporting free and fair elections in Haiti, and called on all political forces to work through the electoral process to ensure that the will of the people was reflected in the outcome of the election.

The Security Council adopted a resolution on the completion of the judicial work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda following delivery of its last judgment and its closure at year’s end.  The text also detailed the extension of work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.

Over the weekend, Special Envoy for Syria Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed briefed the press in Geneva on the Yemen peace talks, noting that despite numerous violations of the ceasefire the parties made serious progress and agreed to a negotiating framework for a comprehensive settlement.  The talks will resume on 14 January 2016.

The Secretary-General and his Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, participated in the meeting of the International Syria Support Group in New York outside United Nations Headquarters. The Secretary-General also briefed the Security Council’s open meeting about the latest developments concerning Syria.

The Secretary-General accepts the broad findings of an external review’s report which found that the United Nations “failed to respond meaningfully” to claims of sexual abuse of children by foreign troops in the Central African Republic.  He vows to urgently review the report’s recommendations and act quickly.

The Secretary-General welcomes the start of the Yemen peace talks today in Switzerland.  He believes that peaceful and inclusive dialogue is the only way to end the suffering and rebuild confidence, trust and mutual respect amongst the Yemeni people following months of civil war and thousands of lives lost.