While the United Nations presence in the Central African Republic has achieved some of its immediate goals – preventing a return to civil war and stopping a coup d’état – much work is needed to stabilize the country’s security situation, combat armed groups and support millions in need of humanitarian assistance, the Organization’s senior official told the Security Council today.
Ahead of the planned drawdown of the joint African Union and United Nations peacekeeping operation in Darfur, the head of that mission set out before the Security Council today a concept for continuing international support for the consolidation of stability in that troubled western region of Sudan.
Despite insecurity and violent extremism spreading across Mali’s borders, the United Nations peacekeeping chief cited reasons for hope, including Mali’s successful presidential elections, the signing of the new Pact for Peace and a drop in peacekeeper deaths, as he briefed the Security Council today.
Gravely concerned over escalation of violence on the Gaza border and settlement activity in the West Bank, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council today that the international community could no longer allow prospects for a two‑State solution to slip away.
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, briefing the Security Council today on efforts to push forward a constitutional committee aimed at ending the eight-year-long conflict in Syria, also announced his decision to step down at the end of November, while vowing to vigorously pursue a balanced, fair and inclusive political solution “until the last hour” of his tenure.
Competition over land, water, minerals and other natural resources will increasingly fuel conflict unless efforts are stepped up to manage them for the benefit of local people and engender peace through sharing, the Secretary-General told the Security Council today.
Affirming that preparations for December presidential and legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are well advanced, speakers in the Security Council this morning urged all stakeholders to reach consensus on outstanding issues to ensure that the poll results will be universally respected.
The Security Council today decided to extend, until 15 April 2019, modifications to the mandate of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), while also stressing that the extension will be the final one unless the parties meet specific benchmarks.
Co-Chairs of the Security Council’s recent mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo today outlined the activities undertaken and information gathered during the visit, especially in areas related to the country’s upcoming elections, its still-turbulent security situation and the process aimed at reforming and improving the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
Continuing commitment by the new Government of Colombia to the peace process that ended the long civil war there is critical to overcoming the formidable challenges still remaining, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the South American country told the Security Council today.
