Security Council

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Evangelos C. Sekeris (Greece):

As the Security Council met today to consider the issue of persons reported missing in armed conflict, speakers — including a woman whose father was abducted during the Korean War and a father whose son’s remains have yet to be returned from the one in Gaza — illustrated that the number of such persons has only continued to increase since the adoption of a resolution on this matter almost six years ago.

In a briefing to the Security Council today, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) underscored the Libyan Government’s stated commitment to cooperate with the Court and pursue justice for its people, while urging the handover of a suspect alleged to have committed grave crimes against detainees — including migrants and refugees.

Despite a temporary lull in fighting, UN officials warned the Security Council that Yemen remains gripped by escalating regional tensions, deepening economic collapse and a worsening humanitarian crisis that continues to devastate civilians — particularly women and children — and derail prospects for lasting peace.

The United Nations top humanitarian official, briefing the Security Council today on the grim reality across the Gaza Strip, asked those present to reflect on what they will tell future generations when asked what they did to stop the “twenty-first-century atrocity” unfolding daily before the eyes of the world.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) until 30 April 2026.

The persistent pursuit of nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programmes by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — in violation of Security Council resolutions — continues to undermine the global nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime, a senior United Nations official told the 15-nation organ today.

Tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina have recently surged, marking what a senior official today described to the Security Council as “an extraordinary crisis” — the most serious since the Dayton Agreement ended the war in the country almost 30 years ago.

The Security Council will convene its signature event of the month on 20 May — an open high-level debate on maritime security, held under the overarching theme of maintaining international peace and security, the Council’s President for May announced today at a United Nations Headquarters press conference.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) by nine days, until 9 May, apparently to allow more time for members to discuss the matter amid escalating tensions in the country.