Security Council

The international community must apply innovative thinking to reduce tensions generated by critical election processes in West Africa, Said Djinnit, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for the United Nations Office in the subregion told the Security Council today.

The Security Council today renewed for 12 months its arms embargo on Liberia and its travel ban on persons deemed threatening to the country’s peace process.

During its two years on the Security Council, Austria had chaired three key subsidiary bodies, established an unprecedented ombudsman office for those wishing to be taken off the Consolidated List of individuals and entities associated with Al-Qaida and the Taliban, and perhaps most importantly, overseen the Council’s adoption of resolution 1894 (2009) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Susan Rice (United States):

The following Security Council press statement was read out today by Council President Susan Rice (United States):

Welcoming the conclusion of a peaceful registration process for the Southern Sudan referendum planned for 9 January 2011, the Security Council today urged the parties to the peace process there to fulfil their remaining commitments, quickly reach agreement on outstanding issues and maintain peace and human rights, no matter what the outcome.

Welcoming Burundi’s progress towards peace, stability and development and emphasizing the need for the United Nations system and the international community to maintain their support for peace consolidation and long-term development in the country, the Security Council today requested the Secretary-General to establish the United Nations Office in Burundi, as a significantly scaled-down United Nations presence, for an initial period of 12 months, beginning on 1 January 2011.

As it began a two-day open debate on women and peace and security, the Security Council today requested the Secretary-General to supply it with detailed information on parties credibly suspected of responsibility for patterns of sexual violence during armed conflict.

On 15 December 2010, the Committee approved the changes specified with strike-through and underline in the thirteen entries below to its Consolidated List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 1904 (2009) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

Recognizing that major changes had occurred in Iraq since its 1990 invasion of Kuwait, the Security Council today returned control of mineral exports to that country’s Government, ended the oil-for-food programme and lifted restrictions on programmes for the development of nuclear energy.