Security Council

Despite the conclusion of efforts to evacuate the eastern districts of Aleppo, the situation in Syria remained catastrophic, a senior United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council this morning.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) for a final period until 30 March 2018.

The Security Council voted this morning against imposing an arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions on three key Government and opposition figures whose dispute has spiralled into widespread violence in the young nation.

14 Delegations in Favour of Resolution 2334 (2016) as United States Abstains

The Security Council reaffirmed this afternoon that Israel’s establishment of settlements in Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, had no legal validity, constituting a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the vision of two States living side-by-side in peace and security, within internationally recognized borders.

On 23 December 2016, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) enacted the amendments specified with strikethrough and underline in the entry below to its List (the 1988 List) of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2255 (2015) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

On 14 December 2016, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo met with the Coordinator of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo to discuss the midterm report of the Group submitted pursuant to paragraph 9 of resolution 2293 (2016).

Expressing outrage at the “unacceptable and escalating” violence in Syria, the Security Council today reiterated its demand that all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, immediately comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law.

Authorities in the Gambia must respect the results of the recent presidential election, the Security Council said today, while also commending the initiatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in support of that goal.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Román Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain):

The Security Council condemned in the strongest terms today all instances of human trafficking in areas affected by armed conflict as it heard from more than 70 speakers during a day-long open debate on the subject.