Security Council

The following Security Council press statement was issued on 24 April by Council President Susan E. Rice (United States):

The Security Council could play an important role in addressing the obstacles that women faced in being informed about — and participating in — formal conflict resolution, especially by encouraging mediators to pay more attention to gender issues, Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN-Women, said today, as she briefed the 15-member body on recent developments in the area of women, peace and security.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations mission in Western Sahara until 30 April 2013.

Welcoming the recent agreement by Israeli and Palestinian leaders to exchange letters and expressing hope such moves would maintain positive momentum towards resuming peace negotiations, B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, said today it was now important to transform that fragile opening into an opportunity to incrementally promote dialogue, as he briefed the Security Council on the latest developments in the region, including on the question of Palestine.

Noting that the cessation of armed violence in Syria was “clearly incomplete”, and concerned about its recent escalation, the Security Council today beefed up the United Nations monitoring team of unarmed observers to that country authorized last weekend, subject to the Secretary-General’s assessment of relevant developments on the ground.

Reiterating its strong condemnation of the 12 April military coup in Guinea-Bissau and rejecting the unconstitutional creation of a Transitional National Council by the military leadership and its supporters, the Security Council today demanded the immediate restoration of constitutional order and the reinstatement of that West African nation’s legitimate Government.

The Conference of International, Regional and Sub-Regional Industry Associations on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004) will be held from 23 to 25 April, in Wiesbaden, Germany. Hosted by the Government of Germany, the conference is co-organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), with financial support from the Governments of Norway, the United States and the European Union.

On 18 April, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) decided to designate two individuals and one entity under sanctions, and will add them to its Consolidated List of Individuals and Entities subject to the travel ban and/or the assets freeze.

It was clearly a political-military coup and an act of military insubordination to the democratically elected civilian authorities, the Secretary-General’s top envoy in Guinea-Bissau said today of the 12 April events in the West African nation, which he said would be recorded in history as “one more coup that took place under the UN eye, and hence the whole international community”.

Expressing grave concern over the threat of terrorism and the risk of weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands and trafficking networks of non-State actors, the Security Council today reaffirmed the need for all Member States to fully comply with their commitments to arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation.