Meeting today amid heightened political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Security Council extended the mandate of the European Union-led stabilization force in the Balkan country for another year, as members reviewed progress on implementation of the 26-year-old Dayton Peace Agreement.
Issuing a warning to Member States about the ongoing threat of terrorism in Mali, delegates also called for elections there next February and noted signs of progress in Niger as they briefed Member States on the Security Council mission to those countries from 22 to 26 October 2021.
Amid intensifying insecurity and a worsening humanitarian situation in Mali, profound political and governance reforms are crucial to creating the conditions for credible elections and enduring stability, the senior United Nations official in that country told the Security Council today.
Strongly condemning attacks against schools, children and teachers today, the Security Council urged parties to armed conflict to immediately stop such violence and to safeguard the right to education.
The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2022, emphasizing the need for a realistic, practical, enduring and mutually acceptable political solution based on compromise for the region.
The Security Council decided today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia for one year, unanimously adopting resolution 2603 (2021).
Amid a dire and worsening humanitarian and security situation, constructive diplomacy is urgently needed to help save lives and bring the 10‑year‑long conflict in Syria to an end, the Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy for that country told the Security Council today, as speakers expressed disappointment that the much‑anticipated negotiations geared towards drafting a fresh constitution appeared to have run aground.
The Security Council today requested the Secretary‑General to set up a dedicated team to assist the electoral process in South Sudan towards the country’s democratic future, as members also discussed the impact of the 25 October military coup d’état in Sudan on the bilateral border administration.
Warning that an “avalanche of crises”, including an uptick in military coups and armament races, is rapidly setting back the clock on women’s rights, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, made a fervent call today to the Security Council to put women front and centre in peacebuilding efforts worldwide.
Through a presidential statement, the Security Council urged signatory states of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as regional organizations and the international community, to coordinate their efforts to undercut the economic lifelines of armed groups that benefit from the illegal exploitation and trade in natural resources, and to prevent the exploitation of women and children in the trade of these resources.
