The Russian Federation’s latest illegal attempts to organize new so-called electoral processes in the occupied areas of Ukraine further undermine the prospects for peace, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as speakers challenged the validity of the ongoing polls while others called for de-escalation and negotiation.
While peacekeeping is not a panacea for converging crises, it does support political processes and protect civilians, the United Nations senior peace operations official told the Security Council today, as members considered the factors necessary for the success of such operations amidst the drawdown of the UN’s presence in Mali and the questioning of its utility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Determining that the situation in Somalia continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region, the Security Council today unanimously adopted a draft resolution addressing the disposal of the country’s charcoal stockpiles as a one-off exemption to previous resolutions.
All efforts by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to organize the next round of consultations with Syria remain unsuccessful, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, calling for Syria’s full cooperation to close all outstanding issues.
The Security Council must be more transparent and inclusive in conducting its business to meet the challenges posed by current global, regional conflicts and crises, speakers stressed today, as they called for improved working methods, including a more equal distribution of duties to draft resolutions and fewer closed-door consultations.
The Security Council’s programme of work for September features three open debates — including one on the maintenance of Ukraine’s peace and security — its President for the month told reporters at a Headquarters press conference today, adding that he will privilege the voices of women on the ground in meetings this month.
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until 31 August 2024, as speakers debated the matter of the Force being allowed access to some areas around the Blue Line.
The Security Council today failed to renew the travel ban and asset freeze imposed through resolution 2374 (2017) against individuals and entities obstructing implementation of the 2015 Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, unable to reach consensus on either of two resolutions that would have kept such measures in place amidst the drawdown of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).
Closing a mission built over a decade within a period of six months is “a complex and ambitious endeavour”, especially amid a host of other constraints linked to security, logistics, geography and infrastructure, the top UN official in Mali told the Security Council today.
While stressing that the 24 August launch of a military reconnaissance satellite by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea posed serious risks to international civil aviation and maritime traffic and runs contrary to relevant Security Council resolutions, a senior United Nations official told Council members today that practical measures are needed to curb tensions and create space for diplomacy.
