Expressing concern over what it called grave threats to security in Burundi as elections approached, the Security Council this afternoon called for the urgent holding of inclusive dialogue between parties there to create the conditions — and determine an appropriate schedule — for peaceful and credible polls.
The Security Council this morning extended the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), along with the authorization of French Forces that support it, until 30 June 2016.
The work of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2014 had confirmed its potential as a platform for leveraging the political weight of its members in support of peace consolidation, which should be further utilized, the Security Council heard today.
Without positive efforts by Israeli and Palestinian leaders to move peace negotiations forward, tensions and violence in the region could only worsen, the top United Nations political official told the Security Council this afternoon.
As the P5+1 and Iran continued negotiations on a comprehensive agreement relating to that country’s nuclear programme, the measures imposed by the Security Council through resolutions 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007), 1803 (2008) and 1929 (2010) remained in full effect, the Chair of the Iran Sanctions Committee told the 15-member body today, underlining the obligation of States to implement them.
With all major armed groups in Mali now signed onto a peace agreement, it was now imperative to put in place actions to end violence and ensure that the population experienced a tangible dividend, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General told the Security Council this morning.
The progress Afghanistan had recently made in the interrelated economic, security and political areas should neither be undervalued nor breed complacency, the top United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today, urging the international community to work towards lasting peace and reconciliation by facilitating direct talks between the Government and armed groups.
Decrying a marked increase in grave violations committed against children in conflict zones, the Security Council today added abduction to the list of such crimes to be closely monitored, during an open debate on the issue that heard from some 80 speakers.
Challenges in protecting civilians, asymmetric threats faced by mission personnel and caveats imposed by troop-contributing countries figured prominently in the Security Council today, as that body heard from the top United Nations peacekeeping official and force commanders on the operational hurdles related to the implementation of peacekeeping mandates.
Exploiting the opportunities for further engagement among the committees established to counter terrorism, address the Al-Qaida threat and halt proliferation of mass destruction weapons would lead to a “multiplier effect” in the delivery of results, those bodies’ Chairs told the Security Council today.
