Security Council: Meetings Coverage

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).

Sudan and South Sudan had shown that they could cooperate on matters related to the disputed Abyei border area, but international support was critical to ensure follow-through on commitments by both sides, a top peacekeeping official told the Security Council this morning.

The Security Council this afternoon failed to adopt a resolution that would have condemned “grave and systematic human rights violations” in Syria, and would have warned of options for action to be considered against the Government of President Bashar al-Assad if the unfolding situation warranted, including measures under the section of the United Nations Charter that allowed sanctions.

Reiterating its serious concern over continued fighting in Somalia and condemning attacks on both civilians and the Transitional Federal Government, the Security Council today extended its authorization of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until 31 October 2012.

Declaring “peace is never smooth”, the senior United Nations official in Afghanistan assured the Security Council today that precious ground gained in taking the war-torn country’s transition and national reconciliation processes forward would not be undermined in the wake of last week’s shocking assassination of leading Afghan peace negotiator Burhanuddin Rabbani.

The Security Council today decided to refer the application of Palestine for admission to United Nations membership to its Committee on the Admission of New Members for “examination and report”.