The Security Council today unanimously adopted a resolution supporting efforts by the Russian Federation and Turkey to end nearly six years of bloodshed in Syria and jump-start a political process.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at his final farewell to staff, in New York today:

At its 60th meeting, on 2 December 2016, the Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict, in connection with the examination of the third report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in the Central African Republic (S/2016/133), agreed to address the following messages through a public statement issued by the Chair of the Working Group:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be the special guest at the New Year’s Eve celebration co-organized by the Times Square Alliance and Countdown Entertainment to welcome 2017.

On 23 December 2016, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999), 1989 (2011) and 2253 (2015) concerning ISIL (Da’esh), Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities adopted revised Guidelines for the Conduct of its Work (“Guidelines”).  The Guidelines were revised in compliance with paragraph 38 of Security Council resolution 2253 (2015), which directed the Committee to review its Guidelines.

The Security Council today authorized the Secretary-General to continue to maintain the escrow account authorized by resolution 1958 (2010), and to retain the funds contained therein until 30 June 2017, at which time all remaining funds would be transferred to the Government of Iraq.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

On 28 December 2016, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1518 (2003) approved the removal of the entries specified below from its List of Individuals and Entities subject to the assets freeze set out by paragraphs 19 and 23 of Security Council resolution 1483 (2003) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:

Beginning its work against the backdrop of an expanding global refugee crisis, deepening political divisions and a spate of terror attacks across the globe, the General Assembly’s seventy-first session convened a record number of topical meetings, while also embarking on the daily business of implementing the newly adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Concluding the main part of its seventy-first session, the General Assembly today adopted 14 resolutions and 1 decision recommended by its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) that tackled management and fiscal issues, as well as 11 resolutions from its plenary and First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) tackling a wide range of issues, including nuclear disarmament, oceans and international law.