The UN Mission in South Sudan says that 246 officers from two formed police units have been deployed to assist civilians seeking refuge inside its bases; a medical team from the UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire has arrived in Juba; and the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is supporting air operations.

The UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, says that there have been signs of mobilization over the weekend of both pro- and anti-Government troops in many locations in the country, and reports of military clashes. The resupply of the UNMISS Bor base, presently protecting some 9,000 civilians, is becoming critical.

The Central African Republic would figure prominently on the Security Council’s agenda in January, Zeid Ra’ad Zeid Al-Hussein (Jordan), that body’s President for January, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

The UN Children’s Fund and the UN refugee agency, together with its partners, have launched a $1 billion public engagement campaign to prevent a lost generation of Syrian children and lift them out of misery, isolation and trauma. UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said that now is the time for the world to step up and provide Syrian children with fresh hope and confidence for their future.

Sigrid Kaag, the Special Coordinator heading the Joint Mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and the United Nations working in Syria, briefed the Security Council this morning in closed consultations. She then updated reporters at the Council stakeout.

Food security, poverty reduction and creating sustainable ways to protect the Earth were among the world’s most pressing issues, Bolivian President Evo Morales said at a Headquarters press conference today, following the handover ceremony of the chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China.

Next week, the Secretary-General will travel to Kuwait to chair the second Pledging Conference for Syria on 15 January. The gathering aims to mobilize the required financial resources to enable the United Nations and its partners to meet urgent humanitarian needs and to harness solidarity for the Syrian people.

The Secretary-General arrived in Baghdad this morning. He met with the Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, and discussed the security and political situation in that country, as well as the situation in Syria. To the press, he said it was important for all political leaders to unit in their stance against terrorism.

Describing the Sustainable Development Goals and post-2015 agenda “at the very heart” of the work of the United Nations, Martin Sajdik (Austria), speaking at a Headquarters press conference in his new role as President of the Economic and Social Council, said it was a time of great transition, including with regard to the Council’s own structural reforms.