Despite repeated calls to the Security Council and the parties to the conflict in Syria, the humanitarian community remained without access to the majority of the estimated 4.6 million people living in besieged or hard-to-reach areas, the senior United Nations humanitarian official said today during a briefing to the 15-member body.
Continuing its regular session for 2016, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 26 organizations for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and deferred action on the status of 57 others.
The Security Council today extended the arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban imposed on the Central African Republic until 31 January 2017, as well as the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the relevant Sanctions Committee through 28 February 2017.
Continuing its regular session for 2016, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 64 organizations for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and deferred action on the status of 50 others.
With a relentless wave of extremist terror gripping the Middle East, Israelis and Palestinians had an opportunity to restore hope to a region torn apart by intolerance and cruelty, Secretary-General Ban-Ki Moon told the Security Council today, urging it to “act now” to prevent the two-State solution from slipping away forever.
The Security Council today decided to establish a political mission of unarmed international observers to monitor and verify for one year the laying down of arms by the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia–People’s Army (FARC-EP), should they agree to end a civil war that has raged for half a century, the longest in Latin America.
Opening its regular session for 2016, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 57 organizations for special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and deferred action on the status of 64 others.
With the resumption of hostilities in Darfur marking the end of a period of relative calm, it was critical that the Government of Sudan extend its full support to the implementation of strategic United Nations priorities, peacekeeping chief Hervé Ladsous stressed today during a morning briefing to the Security Council.
Precious gemstones were meant for development, not catalysing civil war, the General Assembly heard today as it adopted a resolution recognizing the devastating human impact of conflicts fuelled by the trade in illicit diamonds, while reaffirming support for the Kimberley Process initiative aimed at halting their flow into legitimate markets.
The Security Council today decided to downsize the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), decreasing its military component from 5,437 to 4,000 personnel by 31 March 2016 amid calls to lift the sanctions against the Government, given its recent progress in consolidating peace and stability.
