Security Council

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Olof Skoog (Sweden):

On 25 January 2017, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic held a meeting with representatives of the Central African Republic, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan and Uganda in connection with the final report of the Panel of Experts dated 5 December 2016 (document S/2016/1032).

Despite repeated delays and instances of malpractice, the election of a new Parliament marked a milestone in Somalia’s post-conflict transformation, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in that country told the Security Council today.

The Security Council extended the arms embargo and other sanctions imposed on the Central African Republic today, also renewing the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the relevant Sanctions Committee, adding new provisions, and for the first time, distinguishing sexual violence as a separate asset-freeze listing criterion.

On 26 January 2017, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1518 (2003) approved the removal of the following entry from its List of Individuals and Entities subject to the assets freeze set out by paragraphs 19 and 23 of Security Council resolution 1483 (2003) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

Heavy fighting in Yemen — notably around Sana’a, Taiz and the border with Saudi Arabia — was all the more tragic because a viable peace proposal was within reach of both parties to the conflict there, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy told the Security Council today, while pressing both sides to demonstrate the political courage needed to stop the nearly two-year-long war.

Describing reports of severe suffering, starvation and indiscriminate attacks on civilians amid the ongoing fighting in Syria, humanitarian officials briefed the Security Council today, offering glimpses of hope while urging sustained action to end the six-year-long conflict in that country.

The Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 July 2017 today, while encouraging the divided island nation’s leaders to “grasp the current opportunity” of recent progress in negotiations to secure a comprehensive settlement of the dispute between them.

During its informal consultations on 18 January 2017, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) concerning South Sudan discussed the Chair’s report on his visit to South Sudan, Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda in December 2016.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Olof Skoog (Sweden):