Security Council: Press Release

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom):

On 22 February 2021, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) enacted the amendments specified with strikethrough and underline in the entry below on its List of individuals and entities.

Somalia’s leaders must pull back from confrontation and avoid risky “winner‑take-all tactics” in efforts to break a sensitive political deadlock over the holding of elections, the top United Nations official in the East African country told the Security Council today during a videoconference meeting, as he urged stakeholders to reach an inclusive agreement, based on the electoral model agreed on 17 September 2020, as soon as possible.

On 19 February 2021, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al‑Qaida and associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities removed the entries below from the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al‑Qaida Sanctions List after concluding its consideration of the delisting requests for these names submitted through the Office of the Ombudsperson established pursuant to Security Council resolution 1904 (2009), and of the Comprehensive Reports of the Ombudsperson on these delisting requests.

While fresh violence and a worsening humanitarian situation continues to unfold in Yemen, international efforts to work towards peace are finding fragile inroads, briefers told the Security Council during a videoconference meeting today.

Addressing the equitable distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus in the Security Council today, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres proposed the creation of an emergency task force by the G20 countries to prepare and help implement a global immunization plan.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks, as delivered, to the Security Council open meeting:  “Equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines in contexts affected by conflict and insecurity”, today:

Iraq has arrived at a critical crossroads, requiring decisive concerted action to eradicate lingering terrorist threats ahead of national elections, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in that country told Security Council today during a videoconference briefing.

The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack perpetrated on 10 February 2021 against MINUSMA near Douentza, which resulted in one peacekeeper from Togo killed and 27 peacekeepers injured.

The situation in eastern Ukraine will remain fragile until a way is found to calm rising tensions, the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs warned during a Security Council videoconference briefing today.