Security Council

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Sylvie Lucas (Luxembourg):

The people of Afghanistan people should not allow “spoilers and terrorists” to undermine their democratic future, to be determined in the April 2014 presidential election, the Security Council heard today as it voted to extend the mandate of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) until 17 March 2015.

After weeks of intense diplomatic efforts to de-escalate tensions in Ukraine, the Security Council today failed to adopt a draft resolution that would have urged Member States not to recognize the results of the referendum planned for 16 March in that country’s autonomous Crimea region, or any alteration of its status.

On 14 March 2014, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities removed the name of the individual below from the Al-Qaida Sanctions List.

The Security Council today renewed the mandate of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) until 13 March 2015.

On 14 March 2014, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) approved the addition of the entry specified below to its Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2083 (2012) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:

Fourteen years of a “static” approach to civilian protection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo had proven insufficient, and the United Nations mission there must transform into a robust, flexible and highly mobile entity, able to deploy across the country’s volatile eastern region, the world body’s senior official there told the Security Council today.

While an end to the crisis in Ukraine had proven elusive thus far, a peaceful solution remained possible, the Secretary-General’s senior United Nations political affairs official told the Security Council today.

On 11 March 2014, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea approved the removal of the individual specified below from the List of individuals and entities subject to the travel ban, assets freeze and targeted arms embargo imposed by paragraphs 1, 3 and 7 of resolution 1844 (2008):

Despite its mixed progress in decades of war, State collapse and immense human suffering, Somalia could reach its goals of elaborating an agreed Constitution, installing a nationwide electoral process and ensuring greater security by 2016, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.