Security Council members, particularly those with permanent seats, must overcome their differences and unite to tackle a complex web of conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, speakers said during a day-long debate in which several Member States suggested the creation of a regional mechanism — styled on the 1975 Helsinki Final Act — to foster dialogue and build trust.
The Security Council today, meeting independently from but concurrently with the General Assembly, elected Yuji Iwasawa (Japan) to the International Court of Justice for a nine‑year term, beginning today until 5 February 2021.
It was not too late to stop clashes among armed groups seeking to exploit natural resources from eroding progress towards building an effective, accountable and inclusive State in the Central African Republic, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today, warning about the risk of escalating violence and increased suffering inflicted on the strife-torn nation’s population.
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court pressed the Security Council today to play a more active role in supporting the arrest and transfer of those suspected of mass-atrocity crimes in Darfur, a situation it had referred to The Hague-based tribunal more than 13 years ago.
Given the iconic nature of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the interconnected nature of disputes throughout the region, creating the conditions for the parties to return to meaningful bilateral negotiations remained critical, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council today.
Presidential elections on 29 July must lay the foundation for consolidating democracy in Mali, with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) continuing to play an active role in the unfolding peace process, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the Security Council this afternoon.
The Security Council received an update today on the recent activities of the Sudan sanctions committee, including detailed information about a visiting mission to the country undertaken from 13 to 20 April.
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) by 10 months until 31 May 2019, adopting a streamlined text that would advance the Mission’s role in the Middle East nation’s post‑conflict reconstruction and reconciliation.
The international community must have a coordinated response to the serious political and security challenges in Central Africa, which included armed conflict, terrorism, poaching, organized transnational crime and maritime piracy, the Security Council heard today as it was briefed on recent developments in the region.
With the security situation in Darfur remaining largely stable, now was the time for the United Nations — in partnership with the African Union — to closely couple the drawdown of its hybrid peacekeeping mission in the Sudanese province with the build-up of a peacebuilding effort that would focus on addressing the root causes of conflict, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the Security Council this afternoon.
