The Central African Republic’s remarkable progress over the past two years risked being reversed unless national authorities demonstrated commitment to inclusive and transparent governance, and to addressing the root causes of the crisis afflicting the country, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations warned as he briefed the Security Council today.

The Economic and Social Council concluded its dialogue on the longer-term positioning of the United Nations development system in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development today, with Member States underscoring their consensus on the need for reform, despite differences on how to undertake that task.

The Russian Federation hosted a training course for the national Points of Contact of participating States of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) region for the implementation of Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) in Kaliningrad from 28 June to 1 July.

Following is UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s remarks to the Security Council meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in New York today:

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan reports that heavy mortar shelling and machine gunfire to the south of its compound in Wau earlier today prompted an additional 200 to 250 people to flee to the protection area adjacent to Mission’s base, where an estimated 19,000 internally displaced people continue to shelter.

Rising political tensions ahead of presidential and legislative elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo risked sparking a “severe crisis”, the Deputy Secretary-General told the Security Council today, calling on all political stakeholders to give dialogue a chance, engage in good faith and prioritize the nation’s interests.

The General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution that welcomed progress in Africa in conflict prevention and peacebuilding while pointing to ways to address the root causes of conflict and promote durable peace and sustainable development.

The Security Council extended its authorization of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until 31 May 2017 today, agreeing with the Secretary-General that conditions in that country were not appropriate for the deployment of a United Nations peacekeeping mission.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the tenth-anniversary meeting of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, in Beijing today:

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