Security Council: Meetings Coverage

The Security Council today approved the Secretary-General’s recommendations regarding the size, operational aspects and mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia.

The Security Council decided unanimously today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 15 September 2018 as an integrated special political mission.

Recent progress against Boko Haram notwithstanding, Africa’s Lake Chad Basin continued to suffer a “staggering” and under-funded humanitarian crisis, the United Nations political affairs chief told the Security Council today, warning that Governments across the region had been forced to divert already scarce resources to fight terrorism and other security challenges.

Hard-won Gains in Somalia could be swept away without predictable funding to ensure continued support for joint efforts to stamp out the Al-Shabaab terrorist group, as well as corruption and instability, the Security Council heard today.

Expressing deep concern about the political impasse in Guinea-Bissau, the Security Council today called upon the West African nation’s leaders to engage in genuine dialogue, find common ground and implement the Conakry Agreement of 14 October 2016, including by appointing a consensus Prime Minister, as required by that accord.

Extolling the virtues of a strong partnership between the United Nations and the African Union, members of the Security Council today suggested ways in which to further enhance peace and security operations and foster progress in advancing common goals.

Many points of convergence on South Sudan, the Lake Chad Basin and Somalia had emerged during the Security Council’s eleventh joint consultative meeting with the African Union Peace and Security Council in Addis Ababa from 5 to 9 September, Ethiopia’s representative said as he briefed members today.

The Security Council, acting unanimously this evening, decided to impose a raft of new sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea — including a ban on the sale of natural gas liquids to the North-East Asian nation, and on its textile exports — while also prohibiting Member States from providing work authorizations to its nationals.

The new mission that would oversee the next phase of the 2016 peace agreement between the Government of Colombia and the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army (FARC-EP) is on track to begin its activities as scheduled on 26 September, the Head of the United Nations Mission in that country told the Security Council today.

Targeting actors derailing the peace process in Mali, the Security Council decided unanimously today to impose sanctions and create a new committee and panel of experts to examine alleged violations.