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

In the fifth day of its 2018 regular session, the Committee on Non‑Governmental Organizations today recommended 6 entities for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, deferred action on the status of 47 and voted against status for 1 other.

On 2 February 2018, the Committee enacted the amendment specified with strikethrough and underline in the entry below on its List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and other measures relating to attempts to illicitly export petroleum, including crude oil and refined petroleum products, from Libya (the Libya Sanctions List), set out in paragraphs 15 and/or 17 of Security Council resolution 1970 (2011) and/or paragraph 19 of resolution 1973 (2011), or paragraph 10 of resolution 2146 (2014) as extended and modified by paragraph 2 of resolution 2362 (2017), adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:

Continuing its regular session for 2018, the Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations today recommended 18 organizations for special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council and deferred action on the status of 48 others.  The Committee also deferred consideration of two organizations' reclassification applications.

Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority, would attend the Security Council’s meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the question of Palestine, on 20 February, Mansour Ayyad Sh. A. Alotaibi (Kuwait), Council President for the month, said at a press briefing at Headquarters today.

ADDIS ABABA/NEW YORK, 1 February (Department of Political Affairs) — The United Nations-African Union Joint Task Force on Peace and Security held its fourteenth consultative meeting at the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 30 January 2018.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that the 2017/2018 season should end with a record global cereal output.  The forecast had been raised 13.5 million tons since December 2017, due largely to higher maize output expected in China, Mexico and the European Union.  FAO's Food Price Index in January was down almost 3 per cent year-on-year.

On 1 February 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo added the following individuals to the List of Individuals and Entities subject to the measures reaffirmed by paragraph 2 of resolution 2360 (2017):

On 29 January 2018, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2374 (2017) concerning Mali adopted guidelines for the conduct of its work, in accordance with paragraph 9(d) of resolution 2374 (2017).

Younger generations must have readily available tools enabling their full participation in decision‑making arenas to better shape a brighter future for all, the Commission for Social Development heard today as it continued its general debate.