Security Council: Meetings Coverage

Following the Gaza escalation, which last week brought the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to the “brink of a crisis that could have engulfed the region”, it was more vital than ever not only to bring a sustainable end to violence, but to achieve a fair and lasting peace, the Secretary-General’s Personal Representative told the Security Council this morning.

In the fifth annual debate on the working methods of the Security Council today, speakers acknowledged progress towards more transparency and efficiency in the operations of the 15-member body, while calling for more meaningful engagement between it and the wider United Nations membership.

Warmly welcoming the ceasefire declared between Israel and Hamas just hours before, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon this afternoon told the Security Council via video link from Tel Aviv, Israel, that it was now critical to address underlying causes in order to keep the violence, and the great suffering it caused civilians, from flaring up again.

A rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian crisis plaguing hundreds of thousands of civilians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo must be brought to a swift end with intensified help from the international community, the United Nations’ top official in that country told the Security Council today.

Continuing to be gravely concerned by the threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, the Security Council today renewed for another year the authorizations, first agreed in 2008, for international action to fight the crimes in cooperation with the new Somali Government, whom it requested to create a national legal framework for the effort.

The Security Council this evening demanded the immediate withdrawal of the armed group known as the 23 March Movement (M23) from the major eastern Congolese city of Goma and the cessation of any further advances, calling for a clarification of reports of external support provided to the group and stating its readiness to act on the basis of information received.

Acknowledging that international cooperation had helped bring about a sharp reduction in attacks at sea, the Security Council stressed the need for comprehensive action to eradicate piracy and condemned in the strongest terms hostage-taking and the increased violence employed in the crime, during an open meeting that heard from more than 40 speakers today.

Urging Sudan and South Sudan to activate recently agreed border security mechanisms, the Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations security mission in the disputed area of Abyei until 31 May 2013.

With terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction continuing to pose a serious threat to international peace and security, close cooperation and coordination among partners were essential, the Chair of the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) said as the Security Council reviewed the work of its three anti-terrorism Committees.

Calling on all Bosnia and Herzegovina’s political leaders to refrain from divisive rhetoric and make further concrete and tangible progress towards European Union integration, the Security Council today authorized a one-year renewal of the European Union multinational stabilization force (EUFOR ALTHEA) until 15 November 2013.