Security Council

Armed groups and violent extremists are increasing their influence in West Africa and the Sahel while repeated coups d’état are destabilizing Governments, political experts from the region informed the Council today.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Security Council unanimously decided today to extend the use of the Bab al-Hawa border crossing for the delivery of aid into north-west Syria until 10 July 2023, as members subsequently assessed the propriety of the six-month extension.

Leaders on all sides of the Palestinian question must help lower the flames of tension and maintain the status quo of Jerusalem’s holy sites, the Organization’s senior peace official appealed during his address to the Security Council today.

Syria must fully cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to close all outstanding issues related to its declaration, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today during its monthly briefing on the implementation of resolution 2118 (2013) on the elimination of the country’s chemical weapons programme, highlighting that long-standing gaps, inconsistencies and discrepancies remain unresolved.

The Security Council’s programme for January features a ministerial-level open debate on the promotion and strengthening of the rule of law, as well as an open debate on investment in people to enhance resilience against complex challenges for peacebuilding and sustaining peace, its President for the month told a Headquarters press conference today.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Ruchira Kamboj (India):

On 29 November 2022, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) and the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Al-Shabaab held joint informal consultations.

On 9 December 2022, the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo briefed the members of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) in connection with the Group’s midterm report, which was submitted in pursuance of paragraph 9 of resolution 2641 (2022).

​​​​​​​The Security Council today decided to renew the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan for six months, until 30 June 2023, while requesting the Secretary-General to ensure that it has the capacity and resources needed to fulfil its mandate in a safe and secure manner.