Security Council

Recognizing that the African Union was contributing towards the maintenance of international peace and security by undertaking peacekeeping operations authorized by the Security Council, members of that 15-nation body today reaffirmed the need to enhance the predictability, sustainability and flexibility of financing for regional organizations when they took on peacekeeping under a United Nations mandate.

On 20 October 2010, the Security Council Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee approved the addition of the two entries specified 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.

During a Security Council meeting this morning on Somalia that also heard from high officials from the African Union and the Somali Transitional Government, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on the Council to take “bold and courageous decisions” to strengthen the African-led peacekeeping force and the transitional authorities of the faction-wracked country.

The following press statement was issued today by Security Council President Ruhakana Rugunda (Uganda):

The following statement was issued today by Security Council President Ruhakana Rugunda ( Uganda):

The Governments of Chad and the Central African Republic were doing their best to take over the tasks of the United Nations Mission there, known as MINURCAT, but needed continued support in that effort, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today. “We must not let MINURCAT’s hard-won achievements fade because of lack of funding and support,” said Youssef Mahmoud, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of MINURCAT.

Timor-Leste was entering a crucial period that would help determine whether the country had overcome the political and institutional weaknesses that had contributed to the violent events of 2006, the Head of the United Nations Mission there told the Security Council today.

Ahead of a debate on the Middle East that heard from some 40 speakers today, a top United Nations political official told the Security Council that, despite the impasse in direct peace talks, the international community must remain committed to the goal of an agreement on core issues within a year.

Noting with concern the persistence of human rights violations, including sexual violence, in Côte d’Ivoire, the Security Council this morning renewed for six months ending 30 April 2011 its arms embargo and diamond trade ban on the country, as well as targeted sanctions restricting the travel of individuals that threatened the peace process there.

The horrific attacks in Democratic Republic of the Congo’s restive North Kivu province in late July and early August, clearly underscored the importance of civilian protection and had provoked a “major internal review” of the protection programmes being carried out by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission there, the head of that operation told the Security Council today.