While the confirmed number of COVID-19 cases in Syria currently stands at 3,618, reports from inside the country are pointing to a much broader spread of the disease, and it will not be possible to gauge the extent of the outbreak without more laboratory testing nationwide, Mark Lowcock, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told the Security Council during a videoconference meeting on 16 September.
Sudan’s representative once again urged the Security Council, during a videoconference meeting on 15 September, to lift the sanctions that it imposed on Khartoum over the conflict in Darfur, as the 15-member organ took up the latest report of its Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005).
The United Nations flagship initiative to garner collective engagement on peacekeeping will soon shift to the second phase of implementation, to prepare missions for future challenges, the head of the Organization’s peace operations told the Security Council in a 14 September videoconference meeting.
Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the General Assembly and Security Council on the 2020 Report on Peacebuilding and Sustaining Peace, in New York today:
Until the outstanding issues related to Syria’s initial declaration of its chemical weapons stockpile and programme are closed, the international community cannot have full confidence that its activities have ended, the United Nations top disarmament expert told the Security Council in a 10 September videoconference meeting.
On 10 September 2020, 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 enacted the amendments specified with underline and strikethrough in the entries below on its ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2368 (2017), and adopted under Chapter VII of the C
Top peacekeeping and humanitarian affairs officials warned the Security Council during a 9 September videoconference meeting that wide-ranging implications of the COVID-19 pandemic could erode peace and push more conflict‑affected nations onto its agenda.
The International Organisation of la Francophonie, marking its fiftieth anniversary, is uniquely placed to reinforce United Nations conflict prevention, peacekeeping and peacebuilding efforts, particularly in French-speaking countries, as well as to foster a culture of multilingualism within the Organization, briefers told the Security Council during an September videoconference meeting.
With the formal launch of peace negotiations imminent, the United Nations top official in Afghanistan warned the Security Council during a 3 September videoconference meeting that near-record violence in the country is creating an atmosphere of mistrust that risks derailing long-sought talks between the Government and the Taliban.
The warring parties in Libya should incrementally establish a demilitarized area, starting with Sirte, along with a comprehensive set of confidence-building measures, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council during a 2 September videoconference meeting.
