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.
Strongly condemning the recent underground nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Security Council, during an emergency meeting today, discussed options that would promptly de-escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
Contributing to the fight against terrorism and applying sanctions when needed were among tasks taken during August, Security Council President Amr Abdellatif Aboulatta (Egypt) told members of the 15-nation body in a monthly wrap-up meeting this afternoon.
The Security Council decided this afternoon to extend the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for one year, authorizing it to take all necessary action to ensure that southern Lebanon was not used for hostile activities.
Despite having briefed the Security Council more than two dozen times on the brutal conflict raging in Syria, the United Nations top humanitarian official today stressed that “none of us can escape a share in the shame” of not having ended the tragedy, as he addressed the 15-member body for the final time.
The Security Council today extended its authorization of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until 31 May 2018, approving a reduction of its uniformed personnel to a maximum 21,626 by 31 December 2017 amid a transition of responsibilities to Somali security forces.
