Security Council: No name

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the deployment of an assessment mission to the Gulf of Guinea region in order examine the scope of the increasing threat of piracy in the Gulf, and to make recommendations on anti-piracy, including in the broader context of organized crime and drug trafficking.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President U. Joy Ogwu (Nigeria):

On 17 October 2011, the Security Council Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee removed the name of Mr. Shafiq ben Mohamed ben Mohamed Al-Ayadi from the Al-Qaida Sanctions List after concluding its consideration of the de-listing request submitted by this individual through the Ombudsperson established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1904 (2009), and after considering the Comprehensive Report of the Ombudsperson on this de-listing request.

The Security Council this morning made a one-time exception to a previous decision by authorizing a judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to perform other judicial work while still engaged with the court.

Recognizing that the overall security situation in Haiti, while fragile, had improved in the year since a powerful earthquake struck the tiny island nation, the Security Council today extended until 15 October 2012 the mandate of the United Nations Stabilization Mission there and adjusted its force capacities.

On 12 October 2011, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo added the following individual to the List of individuals and entities subject to the measures imposed by paragraphs 13 and 15 of resolution 1596 (2005), as renewed by paragraph 3 of resolution 1952 (2010):

The Security Council today, at the conclusion of its open debate on security sector reform in Africa, emphasized that establishing effective, professional and accountable security sectors was at the cornerstone of peace and sustainable development.

Welcoming an agreement to transfer lead security responsibility for the entire territory of Afghanistan to the Government of that country by the end of 2014, the Security Council this morning extended the authorization of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for one year, ending 13 October 2012, unanimously adopting resolution 2011 (2011).

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President U. Joy Ogwu (Nigeria):

Sudan and South Sudan had shown that they could cooperate on matters related to the disputed Abyei border area, but international support was critical to ensure follow-through on commitments by both sides, a top peacekeeping official told the Security Council this morning.