Security Council

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations peacekeeping operation that monitors the ceasefire between Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan region for an additional six months ending on 31 December.

The Security Council today decided to extend the mandate of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) for one year, while maintaining its previous troop level and highlighting such priority tasks as the protection of civilians and support to the country’s defence and security forces.

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) until 30 June 2018, while deciding to draw down the mission’s troop and police strength in that western region of Sudan over the next year.

In tackling drones, 3D printing, the dark web and other emerging threats hindering non-proliferation efforts, States must bolster their efforts as well as technological advances in order to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction and keep them out of the hands of terrorists and other non-State actors, delegates told the Security Council today.

At its eighth formal meeting, held on 16 December 2016, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning the Sudan met with representatives to the United Nations of the Sudan, Chad, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya and Uganda, with the aim of continuing to strengthen the dialogue between the Committee and the invited delegations.

The international community must build on several significant new developments in the Syria negotiation process, including a round of technical meetings attended by representatives of three opposition groups, the senior United Nations official in that country said today.

While Liberia had made remarkable strides since signing the Accra Peace Agreement in 2003, current challenges posed a risk of reversing that positive trend, the head of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) told the Security Council today.

The Security Council today extended its arms embargo, asset freeze and travel ban on the Democratic Republic of the Congo until 1 July 2018, expanding those sanctions to cover individuals and entities engaging in or providing support for acts that included planning, directing, sponsoring or participating in attacks against the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) peacekeepers or United Nations personnel, including members of the Group of Experts.

Warning that the situation in Afghanistan was unusually tense and that a recent tide of violent terrorist attacks had brought underlying political tensions to the surface, the United Nations top official in the country urged all parties to exercise calm and the Government to take steps to improve public trust in its security sector in particular.

The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, citing a lack of real progress towards ending hostilities and resuming dialogue in South Sudan, today recommended no changes to the mandate of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as set out in resolution 2327 (2016).