Expressing concern about continuing violence and a persistent political impasse in Burundi, the Security Council requested today that the Secretary-General establish a police officers component in the country for one year to monitor the security situation and to support Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) until 12 August, determining that the situation in that country constituted a threat to international peace and security.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on the World Day against Trafficking in Persons, to be observed on 30 July:

The General Assembly decided today that the High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development — mandated to coordinate the follow-up to and review of global sustainable development commitments — would spend the next three years focusing on a range of specific themes and targets, ranging from eradicating poverty to building resilience to empowering communities.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Koro Bessho (Japan):

The Secretary-General today called for a worldwide cessation of hostilities in observance of the Olympic Truce during the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.  “While such an ambitious vision may seem impossible to realize, the Olympic spirit calls on us to rise to the challenge,” he said.

Opening the first meeting of its 2017 session today, the Economic and Social Council elected, by acclamation, Frederick Musiiwa Makamure Shava (Zimbabwe) as its new President and adopted the provisional agenda and working arrangements for its upcoming session.

The Security Council underscored the importance of long-term institution-building as a critical part of peacebuilding in Africa, as it held an open debate today on the topic where speakers emphasized the importance of addressing the root causes of conflict, the need for predictable and sustainable financing, and closer cooperation with the African Union and subregional organizations.

The Secretary-General appeals to the Government of Indonesia to stop the reportedly imminent execution of a number of prisoners for alleged drug-related crimes.  He urges President Joko Widodo to consider declaring a moratorium on the use of the death penalty in the country and to move towards its abolition.

The Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC) of the United Nations held its thirty-fifth session from 25 to 27 July at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  The session was presided over by the Chair, J. Christopher Mihm.  All the other members of the IAAC, namely Maria Gracia M. Pulido Tan (Vice-Chair), Patricia X. Arriagada Villouta, Natalia A. Bocharova and Richard Quartei Quartey, were in attendance.