Security Council: Meetings Coverage

Recognizing that major changes had occurred in Iraq since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the Security Council today returned control of mineral exports to that country’s Government, ended the oil-for-food programme and lifted restrictions on programmes for the development of nuclear energy.

The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) would “lower its flag” at the end of December and start liquidation on 1 January 2011, Youssef Mahmoud, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Mission told the Security Council today.

Israeli and Palestinian leaders should focus with urgency in the coming year on the essential elements of a “negotiated two-State endgame, for the benefit of both peoples”, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council this morning. “The parties have set for themselves important timelines that have received strong international endorsement and 2011 is the year in which these are to be met,” Robert Serry told the Council.

The Security Council, while urging the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to take all possible measures to complete its work expeditiously, today allowed three of its judges to serve beyond the expiry of their term of office so they could complete work on cases in which they were involved.

Urging the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia to take all possible measures to complete its work, the Security Council today allowed two judges to serve beyond the expiry of their term of office to enable them to complete work on cases in which they were involved.

Calling on the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to develop a plan for overcoming remaining differences before the Secretary-General’s visit in January 2011, the Security Council this morning extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force on Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 15 June 2011. By a vote of 14 in favour to 1 against (Turkey), the Council adopted resolution 1953 (2010).

In order to continue addressing core peacebuilding priorities in the Central African Republic, the Security Council this morning supported a one-year mandate extension for the United Nations Integrated Office in that country, until 31 December 2011.

It was critical to engage all Member States in implementing measures intended to encourage Iran’s compliance with resolutions relating to its nuclear programme, Tsuneo Nishida ( Japan), Chair of the Committee monitoring those sanctions, said today in his final briefing to the Security Council.

Although the International Criminal Court had issued warrants and other decisions on serious crimes committed in Sudan’s Darfur region, it was now up to that country’s Government and, ultimately, the Security Council to ensure the implementation of those decisions, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the Court’s Chief Prosecutor, told Council members today.

Recommending a continuing but smaller United Nations presence in Burundi to the Security Council this morning, the Secretary-General’s Executive Representative said the country’s transformation to stability and democracy was progressing but remained fragile and reversible.