Security Council

The Security Council decided today that a vacancy on the International Court of Justice would be filled by election in November.

The Security Council today decided to renew the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) until 30 June 2022, and to task the Mission with supporting the country’s political transition ahead of presidential and legislative elections slated for 27 February 2022.

Renewing the sanctions regime imposed on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Security Council today also extended by 12 months the mandate of the Group of Experts overseeing their implementation.

The explosive growth of digital technologies around the world is opening new potential domains for conflict and the ability of both State and non-State actors to carry out attacks across international borders, the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs said today as the Security Council held its first-ever open debate on maintaining peace and security in cyberspace.

In the 25 years since the Security Council placed the protection of children in armed conflict on its agenda, increasingly protracted, complex clashes around the world have led to a growing number of violations committed against children, the Secretary-General told the 15-member organ today, as other international organizations and members of civil society detailed the exacerbating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on this deteriorating situation.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council meeting on children and armed conflict today:

The plight of detainees, establishing a nationwide ceasefire, countering terrorism and embarking on economic recovery are among the several areas where the warring parties in Syria may find common ground, the United Nations mediator for that country told the Security Council today.

The new Israeli Government must cease its settlement activity and all sides must exercise maximum restraint to preserve the fragile ceasefire which ended 11 days of bloodshed in May, a senior official told the Security Council today, as members called for the cessation of all measures designed to alter the demographic composition, character and status of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Prolific violence surging in the Central African Republic has made that country one of the most dangerous places in the world for humanitarian personnel, the Head of the United Nations Mission there told the Security Council today, as members examined the situation in the wake of contentious presidential elections held in December 2020.

Ahead of the 10 July expiration of resolution 2533 (2020) authorizing humanitarian aid deliveries from Turkey into Syria, the Security Council today debated whether such operations should continue, including options for closing the only remaining crossing and for reopening previous border checkpoints.