The Secretary-General briefed King Abdullah II of Jordan in Amman on meetings with Israeli and Palestinian leaders, in which he appealed to them to put an end to the continuing violence in Jerusalem, the West Bank and Israel.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti, Sandra Honoré, released a video and radio message ahead of Sunday’s elections. She stressed that there is no room for violence in the electoral process and called on all Haitians to show their engagement for democracy and stability in the country.
In an effort to defuse current tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, the Secretary-General began a visit to the region today, where he is scheduled to meet with senior officials. He said the visit is intended to encourage all efforts to lower tensions and prevent the situation from spinning out of control.
The UN Mission in the Central Africa Republic reports that seven UN police were ambushed and detained by alleged anti-Balaka elements last evening near Boali in Ombella Mpoko. All were freed the same night, but without their equipment and weapons. Separately, peacekeepers under fire killed one assailant.
The United Nations refugee agency said today that up to seven people, four of them children, were killed in a collision between a smuggling boat and a Greek coast guard vessel off Lesbos. Separately, refugee agency staff had to be evacuated from a registration site after violence flared up as frustration boiled over.
The General Assembly voted to elect incoming members of the Security Council for two-year terms starting in 2016. Egypt, Japan, Senegal, Ukraine and Uruguay will all join the Council. A chart showing the Council’s membership in 2016 is available in the Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
This morning, the Security Council decided unanimously to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) for another year, at the force levels recommended by the Secretary-General.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) said it was deeply alarmed by the escalating violence and widespread loss of civilian life in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, underlining that only robust political action could prevent further escalation.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan has expressed anger at the murder of a staff member today in Kandahar. The Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Nicholas Haysom, has confirmed that the staff member, Toorpaki Ulfat, was a respected human rights defender. Initial reports indicate that she was killed by gunfire from unknown persons on a motorcycle.
The Secretary-General congratulated members of the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet for receiving the 2015 Nobel Prize for Peace. He also saluted the Tunisian people, saying that the recognition belonged to all those who had given birth to the Arab Spring and were striving to safeguard the sacrifices of so many.