Years of urgent, unfinished business in Iraq — and a resulting “crisis of confidence” among its people — have culminated in civil unrest and the deaths of more than 400 people since October, said the senior United Nations official in the country today, as she briefed the Security Council on the latest developments.
Testimony from victims of terrorist crimes in Iraq — including mass murder, abductions and sexual slavery — is now steering the work of a newly operational United Nations investigative team, its chief told the Security Council today, while also outlining a range of forensics and other tools being used to build cases against perpetrators.
Calling the launch of a Constitutional Committee for Syria a potentially historic moment, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria warned the Security Council today that conditions on the ground must improve to give the talks a chance for success in ending the years-long conflict.
Parties to the conflict in Yemen – still home to one of the world’s most brutal conflicts and its worst humanitarian crisis – have reached several key compromise agreements, which has led to a dramatic drop in the tempo of war, the senior United Nations official in the country reported today, as he urged the Security Council to do everything possible to sustain that crucial momentum.
Following a briefing by the Director-General of the Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the Security Council today condemned the use of such weapons “anywhere, at any time, by anyone”, reaffirming that they are a threat to international peace and security.
Welcoming advances in Somalia’s fight against Al-Shabaab and in its planning for political and economic progress, speakers in the Security Council called today for international support with a view to building consensus throughout the East African country with the approach of critical elections in 2020.
Facing a significant spike in armed group attacks, countries of Africa’s Sahel region need redoubled support to prevent a flood of terrorists from spreading across the wider continent — and even beyond — the Security Council heard today, as it was briefed by a range of stakeholders.
The recent escalation of violence between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip demonstrates the urgent need for political progress on the Middle East peace process, which, in turn, calls for maintaining the international consensus on basic principles, the Special Coordinator of that process told the Security Council today.
Hailing reconciliation as a powerful means by which to help societies heal after brutal wars and mass atrocities, speakers emphasized today that the concept must also evolve to tackle increasingly complex modern‑day conflicts — often related to polarization, inequality and growing mistrust of institutions — as the Security Council held its first open debate on the matter in 15 years.
Growing foreign involvement in Libya must be stopped as the toll of civilian casualties rises and diplomats “race against time” to convene an international conference as a bridge to intra-Libyan talks, reach a peaceful solution and spare many lives, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council today.
