Security Council: Meetings Coverage

Acting on the day before the birth of the independent Republic of South Sudan, and reaffirming its strong commitment to its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity, the Security Council today authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping force in the world’s newest country.

At the intersection of critical conflict zones and impacted by insecurity in neighbouring Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic was at a crossroads, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in that country told the Security Council today.

With Afghanistan set for a mid-July launch of its two-year transition process — covering security, governance and efforts to bring opposition groups into the political mainstream — the top United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today that the “train was on track and moving forward”, but to be successful, it must be underpinned by the socio-economic development that the Afghan people so desperately needed and deserved.

Acting on the request of the President of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Security Council decided this morning that, notwithstanding the relevant articles of the court’s Statute, ad litem judges may be eligible to stand for, and vote in, elections for its presidency.

Expressing grave concern about the serious events that had occurred in the area of operations of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) on 15 May and 5 June, jeopardizing the long-standing ceasefire between Israel and Syria, the Security Council today renewed the mandate of the Force charged with supervising the ceasefire since 1974 for six months, until 31 December 2011.

The Security Council this morning extended the terms of office of eight permanent and nine ad litem judges serving in the Trial Chambers of the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia until 31 December 2012, or until the completion of their assigned cases.

The Security Council today extended the temporary redeployment of infantry and aviation units from the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI).

Painting a picture of a country at a crossroads, the top United Nations official in Guinea-Bissau told the Security Council today that, while all basic conditions for genuinely advancing national dialogue and reforming the security sector were in place, durable progress was being hampered by the authorities’ uncertain commitment to addressing impunity, drug trafficking and organized crime, despite their potentially devastating impact on stability.

Stressing the significant challenges posed by the ongoing presence of armed groups in the restive eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Security Council today decided to extend for one year the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in that country, while demanding that the groups demobilize.

Deeply concerned by the violence, escalating tensions and population displacement in Sudan’s Abyei region and recognizing that the situation demanded an urgent response, the Security Council today authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping force to the disputed area, which straddles Northern and Southern Sudan and is claimed by both.