The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Mali is striving to carry out its mandate and build on a series of recent positive developments, despite persistent terrorist acts and mounting cases of COVID-19, the Organization’s senior official in the country told the Security Council in a videoconference meeting on 7 April.
On 30 March 2020, the Security Council decided unanimously that the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) will maintain its current troop and police ceilings until 31 May 2020.
Emphasizing the importance of enhancing the safety and security of United Nations peacekeepers, the Security Council requested on 30 March 2020 that Member States which host peacekeeping missions fulfil their obligations to facilitate access and freedom of movement for the “blue helmets”, including casualty and medical evacuation.
At least 28 United Nations personnel — 23 peacekeepers and 5 civilians — were killed in deliberate attacks in the line of duty in 2019, according to the United Nations Staff Union Standing Committee on the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service. This brings the death toll to at least 424 United Nations and associated personnel who were killed in deliberate attacks in the last 10 years from improvised explosive devices, rocket and artillery fire, mortar rounds, landmines, grenades, suicide attacks, targeted assassinations and armed ambushes.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Guang Cong of China as his new Deputy Special Representative (Political) for South Sudan and Deputy Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Wu Haitao (China):
Concluding its work today, the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations approved, as orally revised, the draft report of its 2020 substantive session (document A/AC.121/2020/L.3).
The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:
Following is the text of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ video message for the second high-level meeting on Action for Peacekeeping, being held in Berlin from 9 to 10 March:
