Security Council: No name

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, would attend the Security Council’s meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine, on 20 February, Mansour Ayyad Sh. A. Alotaibi (Kuwait), Council President for the month, said at a press briefing at Headquarters today.

On 29 January 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2374 (2017) concerning Mali adopted guidelines for the conduct of its work, in accordance with paragraph 9(d) of resolution 2374 (2017).

A ministerial debate on building regional partnership in Afghanistan and Central Asia was among the signature events of a January packed with meetings and discussions, Security Council President Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan) told members during an end-of-month “wrap-up” meeting today.

The Security Council today welcomed improvements in the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, but remained concerned about outstanding challenges, as it expressed its support for a review that would consider a new mission concept for the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID).

The Security Council extended its sanctions regime against the Central African Republic today, consisting of an arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze on listed individuals and entities, until 31 January 2019, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts facilitating those measures until 28 February 2019.

The United Nations and its partners faced serious challenges in accessing 13.1 million people requiring assistance in Syria, the Deputy Relief Coordinator told the Security Council today, stressing that in the last month alone, “not one convoy has been able to deploy” to besieged and hard-to-reach areas.

The Security Council today adopted a presidential statement that welcomed positive developments in several West African countries, but expressed its serious concern over the challenging security situation in the region and the Sahel.

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) for six months and endorsed implementation of recommendations contained in the Secretary-General’s strategic review of the mission.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan):

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan):