The Security Council’s visiting mission to Haiti in January bore witness to the Haitian people’s hope, resilience and determination in rebuilding their country and paving the way to free and fair elections, the permanent representatives of Chile and the United States – co-leaders of the visit – told the 15-member body today.
In progress at UNHQ
Security Council: Meetings Coverage
The Security Council today extended its arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban on the Democratic Republic of the Congo till 1 July 2016 and the mandate of the Expert Group assisting the Sanctions Committee through 1 August 2016.
The Security Council must find a way to end the four-year-old conflict in Syria, which had been characterized by extreme violence and brutality, resulting in one of the worst displacements of people the world had seen in decades, a top United Nations relief official told the 15-member body today.
Expressing alarm over the high civilian death toll in Ukraine of recent days, along with the shelling of the city of Mariupol, the top United Nations political affairs official called on the rebels to “recommit to the ceasefire and back down from their offensive” in an emergency Security Council meeting this afternoon.
United Nations operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should be drawn down gradually, in consultation with the Government and without reversing gains in stability and civilian protection achieved so far, the Head of United Nations peacekeeping told the Security Council today.
The Security Council today extended its arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban on the Central African Republic until 29 January 2016 and the mandate of the Expert Panel assisting the Sanctions Committee through 29 February 2016.
Faced with “the worst hostilities in eastern Ukraine since a ceasefire” and accusations of increased Russian support to separatists, the top United Nations political official told the Security Council this afternoon that all actors must urgently work to implement the Minsk agreements of September 2014.
Marking the drawdown of the United Nations Office in Burundi at the end of 2014, the Head of the Organization’s political affairs department, in a detailed summary to the Security Council today, underscored the progress made in that country’s peacebuilding over the past decade, as well as the remaining challenges regarding upcoming elections, democracy and development.
During a day-long debate featuring nearly eighty speakers and presided over by the President of Chile, the Security Council today urged a common United Nations approach to inclusive development as a key for preventing conflict and enabling sustainable peace.
Condemning in the strongest terms the escalation of attacks perpetrated by Boko Haram in Nigeria and concerned about the growing humanitarian crisis and large-scale displacement of Nigerians, the Security Council demanded that the terrorist group “immediately and unequivocally” cease all hostilities, and without condition, release all hostages, including the 276 girls abducted in April.