Security Council

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Gerard van Bohemen (New Zealand):

Transnational crime, illicit exploitation of resources, climate change, natural disasters and other factors that threatened small island developing States must be addressed globally and in the context of international stability, speakers today stressed in an all-day open debate in the Security Council.

On 29 July 2015, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2140 (2014) adopted revised Guidelines for the Conduct of its Work.  These latest Guidelines reflect Security Council resolution 2216 (2015).

Describing the Syrian conflict as a “shameful symbol” of the international community’s divisions and failure, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged the Security Council to endorse fresh recommendations by his Special Envoy on finding a political settlement based on the 2012 Geneva Communiqué.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until 31 January 2016, welcoming resumed negotiations between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders to reach a comprehensive settlement.

The Security Council today failed to adopt a resolution that would have established an international tribunal for the purpose of prosecuting persons responsible for crimes connected with the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 on 17 July 2014 in Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, following use of the veto by the Russian Federation, a permanent member.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations special political mission for Iraq for another year until 31 July, 2016.

The conflict in Yemen had brought “appalling damage” on an already suffering people, the top United Nations humanitarian official told the Security Council today, emphasizing the need to secure a pause in fighting that all parties would honour.

The Security Council today decided to authorize the Member States of the African Union to maintain the deployment of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) until 30 May 2016, agreeing with the Secretary-General that conditions would not be appropriate for a United Nations peacekeeping mission in the country until the end of that year, at the earliest.

With no humanitarian solutions to the crisis in Syria, the immense suffering of its people would only worsen until a political settlement ended the conflict, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.