Support from the United Nations and its regional partners in Africa is crucial to addressing the root causes of conflict and galvanizing locally-owned, women-led peace efforts, the Security Council heard today during a far-reaching debate on the role of preventive diplomacy across the continent.
Condemning all acts of migrant smuggling and human trafficking off the coast of Libya, the Security Council today renewed for a further year its authorization for Member States to inspect vessels in the area, when there are reasonable grounds to believe they are participating in the illicit activities.
The Security Council heard updates today on the work of its Sudan sanctions committee, relating to ongoing localized security incidents and shifting regional dynamics that followed recent developments in Khartoum.
Despite recent advances in governance and regional cooperation in the Great Lakes, insecurity and human rights abuses, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, still require urgent attention, the Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy for the region told the Security Council today.
Youth activists from Africa, sharing stories of hardship and determination and of choosing peace over conflict, called for the engagement and inclusion of millions of their peers in building a fairer, more peaceful future on the continent, as the Security Council today debated how to mobilize young people towards the African Union initiative “Silencing the Guns by 2020”.
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Jerry Matthews Matjila (South Africa):
Peace and security in Africa, as well as ongoing situations of concern elsewhere, will top the agenda of the Security Council in October, Jerry Matthews Matjila (South Africa), Council President for the month, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference today.
Sketching out the contours of a newly agreed Constitutional Committee for Syria today, the senior United Nations official in that country urged all parties there, as well as Security Council members, to seize that new development as a “sign of hope for the long-suffering Syrian people”.
Applauding the cooperation between the United Nations, the African Union and various subregional organizations, speakers at a ministerial debate in the Security Council meeting today highlighted African-led efforts to lift the continent out of conflict, including the “Silence the Guns 2020” initiative, while underscoring the urgent need for dedicated sources of funding for peace support operations.
Ministers and other high‑level officials welcomed counter‑terrorism cooperation between the United Nations and Central Asian security organizations, while stressing that all regional efforts must be pursued under the Organization’s founding principles.
