The Security Council met today to discuss the situation in South Sudan, with members pointing out that while progress had been made with the signing of a cessation of hostilities agreement, there had already been setbacks, and the ceasefire had been broken almost immediately.
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
The International Civil Service Commission of the United Nations reported that at least 71 United Nations and associated personnel — 53 peacekeepers and 18 civilians — were killed in malicious attacks in the line of duty during 2017. The casualties in 2017 are the highest number ever recorded by the Commission.
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan):
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary‑General António Guterres:
Following the worst improvised explosive device attack ever carried out, defeating terrorism in Somalia would require the use of both “carrots and sticks”, the Security Council heard today, as representatives were also updated on the humanitarian situation and political developments in the country.
United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres announced today his decision to establish the International Commission of Inquiry envisioned by the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali. He appointed Lena Sundh (Sweden), Vinod Boolell (Mauritius) and Simon Munzu (Cameroon) to serve as Commissioners and selected Ms. Sundh as Chair.
The United Nations will mark the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust victims and pay tribute to the liberators of the camps with a memorial ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, 31 January, in the General Assembly Hall at New York Headquarters.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today that ongoing violence in the Central African Republic has pushed forced displacement to the highest levels since the start of the crisis in 2013. Data as of the end of December show that 688,700 people were displaced internally.
Amid reports of a chemical weapons attack carried out in eastern Ghouta in Syria on 22 January, the Security Council met today to condemn the continued use of those weapons, and urged unity in order to look towards the creation of a new, depoliticized structure to replace the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism.
