Despite progress in regaining territory held by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh), its chokehold persists in communities in the Middle East while it seeks new members, from West Africa to Asia, top counter-terrorism officials told the Security Council today.
The mounting military escalation in north-west Syria has spiked dramatically in recent days, resulting in a level of civilian displacement and carnage long feared by the international community, the top United Nations official in the country said today during a late-breaking meeting of the Security Council.
Albania’s Prime Minister outlined the priorities of his country’s 2020 Chairmanship of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) today, assuring the Security Council that making a difference on the ground, respecting commitments and pursuing dialogue are hallmarks of its approach to addressing tensions in Ukraine, Nagorno-Karabakh and Transdniestria.
The widespread proliferation of approximately 1 billion small arms in circulation around the world — to terrorists, parties to intra-State conflict, organized criminals and warring gangs — continues to pose a major threat around the globe, the senior United Nations disarmament official told the Security Council today.
The Security Council today decided to renew its Central African Republic sanctions regime for six months — including an arms and ammunition embargo, with a number of exemptions — while renewing the mandate its related Panel of Experts for seven months.
Cooperation between the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is vital to maintaining international peace and security and combating global menaces such as climate change and the spread of terrorism, the heads of the two organizations told the Security Council today, as some delegates described the regional bloc’s consensus-building approach, known as the ASEAN Way, as an example to follow.
The senior United Nations official in Libya expressed outrage in the Security Council today over the conduct of actors inside and outside the country who nod towards peace yet double down on military actions, as delegates called for an end to foreign meddling and for upholding the arms embargo as part of a broader plan to stop the spiralling conflict.
Acting unanimously today, the Security Council decided to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Cyprus, while calling for the establishment of a mechanism for direct military contacts between the sides and relevant parties.
The building of trust and confidence is a key component of a successful political process to bring about peace and stability in Syria, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Envoy for the country told the Security Council today, cautioning that increasing violence in the north-west threatened to stall negotiations before they had properly begun.
The senior United Nations humanitarian official deplored spiking violence and dire humanitarian conditions in north-western Syria today, while warning of a possible drop in available medical supplies.
