Security Council

On 15 December 2023, the Group of Experts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo transmitted its midterm report to the President of the Security Council (document S/2023/990).

The Security Council in January will focus on Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and other hotspots, its President for the month said at a Headquarters press conference today.

A senior United Nations official today condemned all attacks on cities, towns, and villages in Ukraine and the Russian Federation during the second Security Council meeting in 24 hours on the subject, as aerial bombardments between the two countries escalate.

One of the largest aerial assaults since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022 killed at least 30 civilians and injured at least 160 more on Friday, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, underscoring that attacks against civilian populations and infrastructure must stop immediately.

The risk of regional spillover of the Israeli-Palestine conflict remains high, a top United Nations official told the Security Council today, as delegates underscored that a full-blown conflict between Israel and Hizbullah would be catastrophic for Lebanon and the wider region.

The Security Council today adopted a resolution requesting the Secretary-General to appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan, provided with robust expertise on human rights and gender, as it also stressed the critical importance of a continued presence of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President José Javier De La Gasca (Ecuador):

The Security Council today requested the Secretary-General to appoint a Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for the Gaza Strip as it demanded the parties to the conflict to allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to Palestinian civilians throughout that territory.

Consultations on Syria’s chemical programme have taken place between the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the Government of Syria, but Damascus’ further cooperation is needed to resolve outstanding issues as gaps and discrepancies persist, the Security Council heard today.