Security Council

The following Security Council press statement on the Afghanistan elections was read out today by Council President Thomas Mayr-Harting (Austria):

Welcoming the peaceful presidential elections in Guinea-Bissau held on 28 June and 26 July, the Security Council today took note of the commitment of the new President of the country to combat impunity, foster national reconciliation and achieve socio-economic development.

This month’s President of the Security Council, Thomas Mayr-Harting from Austria, today briefed correspondents on November’s programme of work, which will include a debate on protection of civilians in armed conflict chaired by Austria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Noting with concern continuing human rights violations against civilians in Côte d’Ivoire, including numerous acts of sexual violence, the Security Council this morning renewed for another year its arms embargo and diamond trade ban in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as targeted sanctions restricting the travel of individuals that threatened the peace process in the West African country.

The Security Council this afternoon condemned, in the strongest terms, the Taliban, which claimed responsibility for the 28 October terrorist attack that took the lives of several United Nations staff members and others in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The Security Council this morning adopted its annual report to the General Assembly for the period 1 August 2008 to 31 July 2009.

Deeply concerned that, following the killings that occurred in Conakry on 28 September when the army opened fire on civilians attending a rally, the situation in Guinea might still pose a risk to regional peace and security, the Security Council today strongly condemned the violence and reiterated the need for the national authorities to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The following Security Council press statement on Afghanistan was read out today by Council President Le Luong Minh (Viet Nam):

The main purpose of reviewing every entry on the Consolidated List compiled by the Security Council Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee was to improve its credibility, Committee Chairman Thomas Mayr-Harting, Permanent Representative of Austria, said today at a Headquarters press conference.

Recognizing the important role that the African Union played in the maintenance of international peace and security, the Security Council today called on that intergovernmental organization to develop a long-term capacity-building road map, in consultation with the United Nations, and pledged to consider all options to strengthen funding for African Union-led peacekeeping operations.