The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Matthew Rycroft (United Kingdom):

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks to the Security Council on South Sudan, in New York today:

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and the Government of Uganda jointly appealed urgently today for massive support for the thousands of refugees from South Sudan who continue to arrive in Uganda daily.  Uganda already hosts more than 800,000 South Sudanese refugees, including 572,000 new arrivals.

Ten years ago this month, the General Assembly declared 25 March the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.  It also established the United Nations Remember Slavery Programme, which, in addition to educating about one of history’s greatest tragedies, works to combat racism and prejudice.

The Security Council decided this morning to extend until 24 April 2018 the mandate of the Panel of Experts for the committee monitoring sanctions on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and expressed its intent to take appropriate action on a further extension no later than 24 March 2018.

Following are UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ remarks at the high-level event on “Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Agenda”, in New York today:

Unanimously adopting resolution 2346 (2017) today, the Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until 16 June.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya said today he is concerned at continued reports of serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law across the country.  He said that credible, effective and accountable security institutions are urgently required to end the deteriorating security situation.

The Commission on the Status of Women, nearing the end of its sixty-first annual session, today began its consideration of several draft resolutions — including, for the first time, a text tackling the pervasive challenge of workplace sexual harassment.

NEW YORK, 22 March (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — Pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/258, the United Nations conference to negotiate a legally binding instrument to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination, will convene its first substantive session from 27 to 31 March at United Nations Headquarters.