Peacekeeping

The heads of nine United Nations agencies and the Global Water Partnership issued an urgent call to Governments to prioritize integrated water and climate action.  The letter, addressed to the world’s Heads of State and Government, was released on the eve of the Organization’s climate change summit in Glasgow.

The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 31 October 2022, emphasizing the need for a realistic, practical, enduring and mutually acceptable political solution based on compromise for the region.

The Security Council today requested the Secretary‑General to set up a dedicated team to assist the electoral process in South Sudan towards the country’s democratic future, as members also discussed the impact of the 25 October military coup d’état in Sudan on the bilateral border administration.

Unabating attacks by illegal armed groups in the Central African Republic are exacerbating the already‑fragile security situation and undermining valuable progress made in establishing institutional stability, the Head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission there told the Security Council today, as members examined the situation ahead of an imminent vote on renewing the Mission’s mandate, which expires on 15 November.

Senior officials from Kosovo and Serbia traded accusations of each other’s non-compliance of agreements today as the Security Council considered the recent escalation of tensions between the two sides, trust-building measures and whether the presence of the United Nations special political mission in Kosovo is still necessary.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Martin Kimani (Kenya):

Responding to the violent clashes in Beirut today, Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, condemned the use of armed violence outside of State authority and underscored the need for restraint, maintaining calm and stability and ensuring the protection of civilians.

Following is the text of UN Deputy Secretary‑General Amina J. Mohammed’s video message to the Directors and Chiefs of Mission Support Conference — Peacekeeping Operations, Special Political Missions and Small Offices, held in Brindisi, Italy, 4-8 October:

The World Health Organization (WHO) released the latest edition of its Mental Health Atlas, which cites a worldwide failure to provide people with the services they need.  It comes as the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts continue to spotlight a growing need for mental health support in countries across the globe.

In northern Syria, a reported 5 million people lack reliable access to and suffer from insufficient levels of safe water due to low water levels and disruptions to water systems.  The United Nations and aid partners have released a plan to target 3.4 million of those most affected by the water crisis in the next six months.