Syria

The Secretary-General, in Addis Ababa for the African Union Summit, expressed profound solidarity, respect and deep sense of gratitude because African countries provide the majority of United Nations peacekeepers, are among the world’s most generous hosts of refugees and include some of the its fastest growing economies.

The Secretary-General has issued terms of reference for an impartial, independent mechanism to help investigate and prosecute those responsible for the most serious crimes committed in Syria since March 2011.

Describing reports of severe suffering, starvation and indiscriminate attacks on civilians amid the ongoing fighting in Syria, humanitarian officials briefed the Security Council today, offering glimpses of hope while urging sustained action to end the six-year-long conflict in that country.

In a video message to the opening of the 2017 session of the Conference on Disarmament, the Secretary-General described disarmament as an integral element of a peaceful and prosperous world, spotlighting its potentially important role in ending existing conflicts and preventing the outbreak of new strife.

As part of his reform agenda, the Secretary-General has approved a whistle-blower protection policy to have the United Nations function in a more open, transparent and fair manner by enhancing protection for individuals who report possible misconduct or cooperate with duly authorized audits or investigations.

The Secretary-General told President of the Gambia Adama Barrow of his full support for his determination, and the Economic Community of West African States' historic decision, with the unanimous backing of the Security Council, to restore the rule of law in the Gambia so as to honour and respect the will of the country’s people.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Olof Skoog (Sweden):

Three months after Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti, the World Food Programme (WFP) says that the number of people facing hunger and food insecurity in the country’s most affected areas has declined steadily — from approximately 1 million to 400,000.

The Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process told the Security Council today that despite the relative tranquillity of the Israel-Palestinian conflict compared to other regional crises, the spectre of violence is always near.  He said that all stakeholders must avoid any unilateral action that would prejudge a negotiated final status solution.

A report published today by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Human Rights Office details grave human rights abuses as well as serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Juba during and after the fighting that occurred between 8 and 12 July 2016.