Security Council: Meetings Coverage

The Security Council this morning extended the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur for 10 months, until 30 June 2015, while it requested further realignment of the mission’s activities in accordance with recent strategic reviews.

The Security Council today, reiterating its concern about the alarming situation in the Sahel region, reaffirmed its continued commitment to address the complex security and political challenges in the region.

The Security Council this morning extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon until 31 August 2015, with no major changes in deployment.

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.