Dialogue remains the only viable option for resolving the political crisis in Burundi and for holding peaceful elections in 2020, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for that country told the Security Council today, as delegates debated whether to keep the situation there on its agenda.
Significant progress in implementing recent agreements in Yemen represents an opportunity for that country to move away from the “logic of war” towards one of peace, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today.
A Security Council statement issued today welcomed the ongoing cooperation between Iraq and Kuwait in the search for Kuwaitis and third-country nationals missing since the 1990 invasion and encouraged the Government of Iraq to pursue its efforts to track down missing Kuwaiti property, including that country’s national archives.
With the formation of the Government of Iraq still incomplete, it is high-time for leaders to shift the focus from factional politics and invest in addressing the immediate needs of the citizens, the highest-ranking United Nations official in the country said today as she briefed the Security Council.
While the 2015 Minsk agreements are the only agreed framework for a negotiated peace in eastern Ukraine, they remain largely unimplemented, senior United Nations and other officials told the Security Council today, urging all parties to the conflict to uphold their commitments to uphold a permanent ceasefire.
Despite the decline in the number of international terrorist attacks in 2018, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) continues to evolve into a global covert network, with access to hundreds of millions of dollars and the demonstrated ability to exploit new technologies, the top-ranking United Nations counter-terrorism officials told the Security Council today.
Antagonistic gestures and accusations are prevailing over genuine efforts to resume political dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council today, calling on both sides to steady, rather than agitate, the atmosphere as a minimum requirement.
Extending for 13 months the mandate of the expert panel charged with overseeing the arms embargo, travel ban and asset freeze imposed on those obstructing peace in Darfur, the Security Council today also heard from Sudan’s representative who called for an updated snapshot of the “reality of security” in his country.
Crime on the high seas is becoming increasingly sophisticated, endangering human life on land, the economic growth of entire regions and global safety, the head of the United Nations anti-crime agency warned the Security Council today, underscoring the vital role of international legal treaties in combating the scourge.
From illicit trafficking in the Sahel, to post-election violence in Côte d’Ivoire and innumerable abuses against civilians in the Central African Republic, mercenary activities in Africa are a serious concern and must command greater attention, senior officials told the Security Council today as they debated solutions to an often-invisible scourge.
