Security Council

The following statement to the press was issued today by Security Council President Vitaly Churkin (Russian Federation):

With high-level political negotiations between Serbia and Kosovo entering a “critical stage”, the top United Nations official in the region urged the Security Council to throw its weight behind the European Union-brokered talks and help the two sides overcome the inevitable “short term political challenges, anxieties and setbacks” that could yet derail the historic opportunity that was before them.

On 20 March 2013, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1970 (2011) concerning Libya updated the entry specified below to its List of Individuals and Entities subject to the travel ban and/or asset freeze.

An ongoing political stalemate, protracted demonstrations, terrorist attacks and strained Arab-Kurdish relations could fuel existing political and security challenges in Iraq, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative told the Security Council this morning, urging the country to remain “determined and steadfast” during a very challenging time.

Despite some progress achieved in South Sudan’s transition towards a stable, viable State, internal security challenges and political fault-lines — exacerbated by a recent spate of inter-communal violence — continued to render the new country fragile and threaten peace and security throughout the region, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative warned the Security Council this afternoon.

The following Security Council press statement was read out by Council President Vitaly Churkin (Russian Federation):

On 19 March 2013, 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:

On 18 March 2013, Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 2048 (2012)concerning Guinea-Bissau updated the entry specified below to its Consolidated Travel Ban List.

The stabilization process in Haiti had hit a number of difficulties — including a missed opportunity to hold elections last year — but the Caribbean nation could still surmount entrenched political divisions and launch institutional reforms vital for meeting the urgent security and economic needs of its citizens, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.

The Security Council today extended for another year the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and called on the Organization and the international community to bolster the Afghan Government’s efforts to take ownership of and leadership in National Priority Programmes covering security, governance, justice and socio-economic development.