Security Council

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Wu Haitao (China):

Iraq today stands at a crossroads that could lead to a safe, prosperous future, even as it continues to grapple with complex political dynamics and the long echoes of war, the senior United Nations official in Baghdad told the Security Council today.

March will see the Security Council prioritize discussions about Africa, peacekeeping and the urgent need to preserve multilateralism against the backdrop of an increasingly divided world, Zhang Jun (China), its President for that month said at a Headquarters press conference today.

The Security Council requested today that the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals present by 15 April the report on the progress of its work — including progress towards the completion of its functions — since its last review of the Mechanism in June 2018.

The security situation in and around Idlib continues to deteriorate, the United Nations top official for peacebuilding told the Security Council today, noting the severe impact on civilian populations as targeted attacks on populated areas continue to be carried out in plain sight.

The Security Council decided today to extend the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) until 31 December as it continues its phased drawdown, and to review in six months’ time the sanctions regime it imposed in 2012.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium):

The Somalia sanctions committee and its Panel of Experts are partners of the Federal Government of Somalia in a mutual effort to counter the threat of terrorism and tackle the flow of arms to non-State actors, the head of the Committee told the Security Council today.

Greater access across borders, as well as lines of conflict is required to sustain the delivery of humanitarian assistance in north-eastern Syria, the United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator told the Security Council today, citing the Tal Abiyad crossing as the most feasible alternative to Al Yarubiyah, which was closed on 10 January.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Marc Pecsteen de Buytswerve (Belgium):