The UN Support Mission in Libya is undertaking a series of urgent consultations with Libyan parties, of the view that ending the severe political division is of critical importance. It has appealed to all parties to resolve the crisis and not allow the window of opportunity to slip away.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Security Council today adopted a resolution reaffirming its commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen. They expressed concern over the ongoing political, security, economic and humanitarian challenges in the country, and called on all parties to resolve their differences through dialogue.
At today’s ministerial-level Security Council open debate on maintaining international peace and security, the Secretary-General said that the three opening words of the United Nations Charter make clear who is the driving force behind the United Nations: “We the peoples”. He called for a re-affirmation to serve in that spirit.
The Special Representative for Global Education, Gordon Brown, urged Boko Haram to free the girls taken from Chibok last April, after the group released yesterday 158 women and children taken during a separate raid on Katarka, in December. Mr. Brown said that since Boko Haram had released some hostages, they should release them all.
The Secretary-General, speaking at the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism hosted by the United States Government in Washington, D.C., today, noted that addressing the profound challenge of violent extremism in a manner that solved rather than multiplied the problem could be the greatest test faced in the twenty-first century.
Addressing the General Assembly today on the Ebola outbreak, the Secretary-General acknowledged a significant decline of new cases. However, incident rates had risen again in Guinea and Sierra Leone, and he appealed to Member States to sustain the work against Ebola and provided resources needed to get to zero cases.
Condemning in the strongest terms the killing of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya by Da’esh, the Secretary-General reaffirmed that the ongoing dialogue in Libya was the best chance to help the country overcome its current crisis and build a State and institutions able to confront terrorism.
The Secretary-General welcomed a “key milestone” in Geneva today towards a universal climate change agreement. He said the negotiating text covers such areas as mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and capacity-building, and noted the Climate Convention Chief’s satisfaction with the swift pace of the work.
The Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on Yemen this morning, warning that “the country is collapsing before our eyes” and calling for all Yemeni parties to engage and cooperate in the negotiations being facilitated by Special Adviser Jamal Benomar in good faith towards a consensual and peaceful way forward.
Following the release two weeks ago of 249 children from an armed group in South Sudan, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and partners are overseeing the release of another 300 children. The children surrendered their weapons and will spend their first night in an interim care centre that has health and psychological services.