Security Council: Meetings Coverage

The Security Council this morning committed itself to better utilizing all tools of the United Nations system to ensure that warning signs of impending bloodshed translated into “concrete preventative action”, at the start of an all-day debate on prevention of armed conflict.

The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic would most likely reach its initial deployment capability when the transfer of authority from the African Union-led support mission occurred on 15 September, the Security Council heard today.

The Security Council this afternoon heard briefings from the co-leaders of its visiting mission to Europe and Africa, which took place from 8 to 14 August.

The international community must reverse the loss of respect for international humanitarian law and the resulting increase of attacks on those workers providing life-saving aid on the frontline of world crises, the Deputy Secretary-General told the Security Council this morning on the occasion of World Humanitarian Day.

While the current respite in the "unprecedented" destruction and bloodshed in Gaza was welcome and humanitarian aid was primary, it was critical to end the conflict by reversing the loss of hope in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, the United Nations Special Coordinator for that process told the Security Council this morning.

Calling on all United Nations Member States to act to suppress the flow of foreign fighters, financing and other support to Islamist extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, the Security Council this afternoon put six persons affiliated to those groups on its terrorist sanctions list.

Intense fighting in Donetsk and Luhansk was resulting in mounting casualties and serious infrastructure damage, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council this morning. “The price being paid by all Ukrainians as a result of the conflict is too high,” said Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, as he briefed the 15-Member body on the situation in Ukraine, underlining the need for a peaceful solution to the situation.

Despite a challenging operational environment, the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) continued to implement its strategic priorities and streamline its operations, the mission’s head told the Security Council this afternoon.

Despite greatly improved security and last year’s surrender of the “M23”, the protracted conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo would persist if other remaining armed groups in the country’s east failed to lay down their weapons too, a senior United Nations official warned the Security Council today.