Security Council: Meetings Coverage

After Libya’s “Declaration of Liberation” on 23 October, following the death of long-term ruler Muammar al-Qadhafi, the international community must remain “focused and measured” in its engagement with the transitional authorities there, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council this morning, as it met to consider the situation in that country.

Briefing the Security Council this afternoon on the situation in Darfur, the senior United Nations official for peacekeeping highlighted progress in the implementation of the provisions of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur, and agreement between the Sudanese Government and the Justice and Liberation Movement.

The recent prisoner exchange agreement between Israel and Hamas showed that it was possible with sufficient exercise of political will to overcome long-standing impasses in the Middle East, the United Nations political affairs chief told the Security Council this morning, ahead of a full-day debate on the Middle East that included some 50 speakers.

Gravely concerned by the growing threat of piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, and by the increased violence employed by pirates, and also strongly condemning the practice of hostage-taking by suspected pirates, the Security Council acted today on a resolution to consider further the establishment of specialized anti-piracy courts in Somalia and other States in the region.

Strongly condemning what it called human rights violations by authorities, and abuses by other actors, in Yemen following months of political strife, the Security Council this afternoon demanded that all sides immediately reject violence, and called on them to commit to a peaceful transition of power based on proposals by the major regional organization of the Arabian Gulf.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the deployment of an assessment mission to the Gulf of Guinea region in order examine the scope of the increasing threat of piracy in the Gulf, and to make recommendations on anti-piracy, including in the broader context of organized crime and drug trafficking.

The Security Council this morning made a one-time exception to a previous decision by authorizing a judge of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to perform other judicial work while still engaged with the court.

Recognizing that the overall security situation in Haiti, while fragile, had improved in the year since a powerful earthquake struck the tiny island nation, the Security Council today extended until 15 October 2012 the mandate of the United Nations Stabilization Mission there and adjusted its force capacities.

The Security Council today, at the conclusion of its open debate on security sector reform in Africa, emphasized that establishing effective, professional and accountable security sectors was at the cornerstone of peace and sustainable development.

Welcoming an agreement to transfer lead security responsibility for the entire territory of Afghanistan to the Government of that country by the end of 2014, the Security Council this morning extended the authorization of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) for one year, ending 13 October 2012, unanimously adopting resolution 2011 (2011).