Security Council

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President François Delattre (France):

Security Council leadership was critical in ensuring the full implementation of performance, training and conduct requirements for United Nations peacekeeping operations, the Organization’s peacekeeping chief told the Council this afternoon as it discussed strategic force generation.

Welcoming “remarkable achievements” in Colombia following agreements to end long-term civil strife, the Security Council decided this afternoon that the United Nations Verification Mission there would expand its work to include monitoring a ceasefire recently signed by the Government and the group known as Ejército de Liberación Nacional (ELN).

While recent crises threatening the peace process in Mali had been overcome and new agreements reached, progress must be accelerated as the situation remained perilous for peacekeepers and civilians, the head of United Nations peacekeeping efforts in the West African country told the Security Council today.

Condemning the continued smuggling of migrants through Libya and off its coast — thereby endangering hundreds of thousands of lives and undermining stability — the Security Council today extended until 5 October 2018 its authorization for Member States to intercept vessels suspected of being used for such purposes.

On 4 October 2017, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) enacted the amendments specified with underline and strikethrough in the entry 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) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:

Three priorities — the terrorist threat in the Sahel, peacekeeping and the ongoing crises in Myanmar and the Middle East — would be the focus of the Security Council’s work in the coming weeks, François Delattre (France), Council President for the month, said at a press briefing today at Headquarters.

Amid an escalating crisis in northern Rakhine state in Myanmar, United Nations Secretary-General today urged its Government to end military operations, allow unfettered access to those in need, and ensure the safe and voluntary return of displaced Rohingya to their homes.

Strengthening coordination and coherence would be the top priority for the Office of Counter-Terrorism, the new entity’s chief said today as the Security Council took up threats to international peace and security caused by terrorism.

While there had been some progress, the situation in Syria remained fragile and highly susceptible to backsliding, the United Nations Special Envoy for the country warned today, urging both sides to assess the situation realistically and responsibly and return to Geneva talks, which he said he intended to reconvene in October.