Security Council: Meetings Coverage

The United Nations top political official in Darfur this morning hailed last week’s signing of a road map for peace in Darfur by the Sudanese Government and the opposition Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), but warned today in a briefing to the Security Council that an enabling environment still must be created to ensure sustainable peace and stability in the strife-torn region.

The Security Council this afternoon expressed concern that the possible adverse effects of climate change could, in the long-run, aggravate certain existing threats to international peace and security and that the loss of territory in some States due to sea-level rise, particularly in small low-lying island States, could have possible security implications.

Real progress had been achieved in replacing Iraq’s ruthless dictatorship with institutions mandated by constitutional principles, which laid the ground for “cautious optimism” about the future, provided that determined national leadership and a stronger spirit of cooperation in the region prevailed, Ad Melkert, Special Representative of the Secretary-General told the Security Council today.

While efforts to achieve national reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire, prepare for legislative elections later this year and make headway on economic recovery were moving in the right direction, a rapid restoration of law and order was of “primordial” importance in ensuring that all other tasks could be carried out, Choi Young-jin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, told the Security Council today.

Hailing the recent independence of the Republic of South Sudan following decades of civil war, the Security Council today pledged its continued support to the poverty stricken country — which ranks at the bottom of nearly all human development indicators — just moments after recommending to the General Assembly that the world’s newest nation be admitted as a member of the United Nations.

The Security Council today recommended to the General Assembly that the Republic of South Sudan be admitted as a Member of the United Nations, adopting resolution 1999 (2011) without a vote. In a statement (S/PRST/2011/14) read out during a formal meeting by Guido Westerwelle, Foreign Minister of Germany, the 15-nation body noted with great satisfaction the Republic of South Sudan’s solemn commitment to uphold the purposes and principles of the Charter and to fulfil all the obligations therein.

Building on more than a decade of contributions towards a comprehensive framework for protecting children affected by conflict, the Security Council today declared schools and hospitals off limits for both armed groups and military activities, calling for all parties that attacked such facilities to be held accountable and placed on the Secretary-General’s annual list of those committing grave violations against children.

The President of the Security Council today referred the membership application of the Republic of South Sudan to its Committee on the Admission of New Members — the first step for the newly independent African country to join the United Nations. Should South Sudan’s application be approved by the 15-member Council and the 192-nation General Assembly, it will become the world body’s 193rd member.

The Security Council today decided to close the six-year-old United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) and called on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to complete the withdrawal of all its uniformed and civilian personnel, except those needed for its liquidation, by 31 August 2011.

While commending the institutional and governance improvements that had helped resolve both long-brewing and unexpected political crises in West Africa over the past year, the top United Nations envoy in the subregion today urged the Security Council to remain vigilant because elections scheduled between now and 2013 held the potential to ignite simmering tensions that could lead to renewed violence and instability.