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.
Ahead of an all-day debate on the Middle East today, a top United Nations political official called on Israelis and Palestinians to end a cycle of actions and rhetoric that were pulling them further away from negotiations for a lasting two-State solution to their conflict.
Recognizing peacebuilding as an important element of United Nations efforts in countries emerging from conflict, the Security Council today both underlined the primary responsibility of national Governments and other stakeholders towards such successful peacebuilding, and emphasized the importance of inclusivity in advancing relevant processes to ensure that the needs of all segments of society were being taken into account.
Côte d’Ivoire was making progress towards sustainable peace and economic recovery, but hurdles remained to improve security, reintegrate former soldiers, punish human rights abuses and carry out electoral reform ahead of presidential elections later this year, the head of the United Nations operation in that country told the Security Council today.
West Africa’s political landscape remained delicate as nations across the region continued to grapple with insecurity, terrorist threats and tensions ahead of a busy election cycle, the United Nations senior official there told the Security Council this afternoon.
The Security Council this afternoon called for immediate military action by the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in cooperation with United Nations peacekeepers, to “neutralize” a Rwandan armed group that continued to threaten civilians in the eastern part of the country after a 2 January deadline to disband.
As serious fighting continued among warring armed groups in Mali, resulting in heavy casualties among both civilians and peacekeepers alike, the strife-torn nation’s ongoing peace talks had reached a crucial stage and must move forward, the head of United Nations peacekeeping told the Security Council this afternoon.
