Amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, defensive military assistance to Kyiv has continued while weapons and ammunition have been reportedly transferred to the Russian Federation Armed Forces, a top United Nations disarmament official told the Security Council today, stressing that such actions risk escalating the conflict.
On 29 August 2023, the Coordinator and members of the Panel of Experts briefed the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2127 (2013) concerning the Central African Republic on the Panel’s progress update submitted in pursuance of paragraph 7 of resolution 2648 (2022).
Following the Russian Federation’s 30 August veto of a draft resolution that would have renewed certain Security Council measures against those obstructing peace in Mali, speakers in the General Assembly considered its implications amidst the demanded withdrawal of United Nations presence from a country still in crisis.
The Russian Federation’s latest illegal attempts to organize new so-called electoral processes in the occupied areas of Ukraine further undermine the prospects for peace, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today, as speakers challenged the validity of the ongoing polls while others called for de-escalation and negotiation.
While peacekeeping is not a panacea for converging crises, it does support political processes and protect civilians, the United Nations senior peace operations official told the Security Council today, as members considered the factors necessary for the success of such operations amidst the drawdown of the UN’s presence in Mali and the questioning of its utility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
All efforts by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to organize the next round of consultations with Syria remain unsuccessful, the United Nations disarmament chief told the Security Council today, calling for Syria’s full cooperation to close all outstanding issues.
Determining that the situation in Somalia continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security in the region, the Security Council today unanimously adopted a draft resolution addressing the disposal of the country’s charcoal stockpiles as a one-off exemption to previous resolutions.
The Security Council must be more transparent and inclusive in conducting its business to meet the challenges posed by current global, regional conflicts and crises, speakers stressed today, as they called for improved working methods, including a more equal distribution of duties to draft resolutions and fewer closed-door consultations.
The Security Council’s programme of work for September features three open debates — including one on the maintenance of Ukraine’s peace and security — its President for the month told reporters at a Headquarters press conference today, adding that he will privilege the voices of women on the ground in meetings this month.
The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) until 31 August 2024, as speakers debated the matter of the Force being allowed access to some areas around the Blue Line.
