Security Council: Meetings Coverage

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Nicholas Kay, told the Security Council this afternoon that, if asked if he was optimistic about Somalia, his answer would be a resounding “yes” — for “behind the twists and turns, the crises and the standoffs, Somalia has the foundations for progress”.

Liberia should be proud of its achievements, but 10 years was too short a time in which to reverse the effects of a war that left a nation shattered and overturn more than a century of social and political exclusion, as well as poor governance, the Security Council heard today.

Iran had remained silent to inquiries about its ballistic missile launches and an intercepted arms shipment, the Chair of the Security Council Committee charged with monitoring sanctions on that country said today.

Security Council members today hailed the progress made in implementing the historic April agreement between Serbia and Kosovo as the senior United Nations official delivered his latest briefing amid calls for leaders on both sides to stay the course.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon until 31 August 2014, with no major operational changes.

Haiti is at a critical turning point, where it needs to hold credible elections this year as it prepares for a gradual drawdown of the United Nations peacekeeping operation in that country, the world body’s senior official there told the Security Council today.

Gravely concerned at the continued challenges to implementation of the 27 September 2012 Cooperation Agreements between Sudan and South Sudan, the Security Council today called for urgent steps by the parties, including that they make use of the joint mechanisms established to facilitate implementation and cooperate with the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority for Development.

Following a prolonged political stalemate amid continuing regional unrest, the direct talks resumed last month between the Israelis and the Palestinians represented a “small but important” opening for peace, a senior United Nations political official told the Security Council this morning.

Despite recent strides in strengthening the ability of the United Nations to protect civilians, conflicts around the world were still characterized by a “prevailing disrespect” for the core principles of international humanitarian law, top officials warned the Security Council today.

The international community must mobilize to overcome the “highly volatile” security situation and degenerating humanitarian crisis in the Central African Republic, including by supporting the newly deployed African Union mission, the top United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today.