Warring parties can and must talk even if they are not ready to put down their arms, the Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy for Yemen told the Security Council today, as he and the head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs shared a grim snapshot of escalating violence, shifting front lines and widespread hunger, displacement and desperation among civilians.
The Security Council today, in a contentious meeting, rejected a draft resolution that would have integrated climate‑related security risk as a central component of United Nations conflict‑prevention strategies aiming to help counter the risk of conflict relapse.
The International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals — the judicial body that took over the remaining work of the two dedicated tribunals for war crimes committed in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia — has delivered judgments on three cases on schedule, diminishing its active caseload and demonstrating its intention to complete its functions efficiently and effectively, its President told the Security Council today.
Outgoing chairs of Security Council subsidiary bodies told the 15-member organ today that in-person visits to the countries concerned are critical for both gathering first-hand information about the effects of sanctions and correcting misunderstandings about the purpose of such measures, as they reported on the challenges that COVID-19 posed to their working methods over the last two years.
Amid a fragile backdrop of peace and security in Darfur, regional dynamics are mainly favourable in maintaining stability, the outgoing head of Sudan’s sanctions committee told the Security Council today.
On 1 December 2021, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya held informal consultations to consider the interim report of its Panel of Experts, submitted in accordance with paragraph 13 of resolution 2571 (2021).
Describing Sudan’s political transition as “undergoing its greatest crisis to date” in the wake of a coup d’état, the United Nations top official for that country today cautiously welcomed the recent power-sharing agreement jointly announced by the nation’s military leader and the reinstated Prime Minister.
Warning that people and countries most vulnerable to climate change also are most vulnerable to terrorist recruitment and violence, nearly 60 speakers in an open debate today told the Security Council that the negative synergy between the two crises threatens to undermine States and international security itself, as the 15-nation organ considered a draft resolution proposed by Niger and Ireland on the matter.
Following is UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council open debate on “Maintenance of international peace and security: Security in the context of terrorism and climate change”, in New York today:
Syria’s declaration of its chemical weapons programme cannot be considered accurate and complete due to the identified gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, urging that country’s thorough cooperation with the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
