South Sudan is not yet ready to hold credible elections in 2024, a senior United Nations official said today, as the Security Council examined the recent developments in that country, including implementation of the 2018 peace agreement and the dire humanitarian situation exacerbated by the influx of people fleeing the conflict in Sudan.

The Security Council today extended for a further year the mandate of the team monitoring sanctions against the Taliban and associated individuals and entities, which threaten Afghanistan’s peace, security and stability.

Central Africa is facing an extremely worrying humanitarian situation, with 42 million people in need of assistance and 2.6 million internally displaced, the Organization’s senior official in the subregion told the Security Council today, as delegates underscored the need to support inclusive democratic transitions in Chad and Gabon, address continuing threats from Boko Haram and mitigate the impact of climate change on regional security.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President José Javier de la Gasca Lopezdominguez (Ecuador):

In Gaza, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory today pointed to the need for a humanitarian ceasefire, given the conditions on the ground. She emphasized that Israel needs to provide for unimpeded humanitarian access and ensure conditions allow for the provision of aid.

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

On 4 December 2023, members of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2653 (2022) concerning Haiti were briefed by the Coordinator of the Panel of Experts on Haiti on the Panel’s workplan for its mandate in pursuance of Security Council resolution 2700 (2023) of 19 October 2023.

The following statement by UN Secretary-General António Guterres was issued today:

Adequate and predictable financing for mandates arising from resolutions and decisions adopted by the Council — the main UN intergovernmental body dealing with human rights — is vital to strengthen this pillar and promote and protect fundamental freedoms, said Costa Rica’s representative, also speaking for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) launched a $1.2 billion humanitarian appeal today to support 48 million people with reproductive health and gender-based violence services in 58 countries in 2024. In 2023, UNFPA received only half of its humanitarian funding needs.