UNSC concerned over deadly fighting in eastern Ukraine
New York, May 29 (IBNS): In the United Nations Security Council's (UNSC) first meeting on Ukraine since the presidential election there, United Nations political chief Jeffrey Feltman said violence in the country's east has dramatically increased and reiterated Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's call on President-elect Petro Poroshenko to steer the country away from instability.
UNSC extends UN mission in South Sudan
New York, May 28 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday extended the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and revised its mandate to give priority to the task of protecting civilians and to address the security, humanitarian and political crisis that has gripped the nation for the past six months.
Boko Haram put on UN terror sanctions list
New York, May 24 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council has added Boko Haram, the Nigerian militant group that has claimed responsibility for the abduction of more than 200 schoolgirls in mid-April, to its list of Al-Qaida associates subject to financial sanctions and an arms embargo.
UN urges Israel, Palestine to carefully consider next steps
New York, May 21 (IBNS): Briefing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday on what he called an "impasse" in talks between Israelis and Palestinians, a top United Nations political official said it was critical to restart negotiations, but just as important for the parties to consider paths to progress, before talks resume.
UNSC deplores renewed violence in northern Mali
New York, May 21 (IBNS): Briefing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the wake deadly violence that rocked the northern Malian town of Kidal this past weekend, the top UN official in the country urged all parties on Tuesday to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and avoid further provocation to keep the long-troubled region from sliding back into crisis.
UNSC demands immediate release of abducted Nigerian girls
New York, May 10 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday demanded the "immediate and unconditional" release of the schoolgirls abducted a few weeks ago by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria, and called on the international community to work closely with the authorities to ensure their safe return.
UNSC creates new medal to honour courage of personnel
New York, May 9 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday decided to create 'the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage' in honour of a United Nations peacekeeper credited with saving hundreds of, perhaps even a thousand, Rwandans from death during the 1994 genocide.
UNSC urges measures to keep chemical weapons away from terrorists
New York, May 8 (IBNS): While Governments around the world are working hard to keep weapons of mass destruction out of the hands of terrorists, a decade after adopting a landmark resolution on the issue, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday said that it "remains gravely concerned by the threat of terrorism, and the risk that non-State actors may acquire, develop, traffic in or use nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and their means of delivery."
UNSC decries terrorist attack in Yemen
New York, May 6 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) strongly condemned Monday's deadly terrorist attack in Sana'a, as well as other recent terrorist attacks in Yemen, and stressed its support for President Abd Rabu Mansour Hadi and his Government to combat terrorism.
Ban to dispatch top political aide to Ukraine
New York, May 3 (IBNS): As the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) convened its second urgent session this week on the situation in Ukraine, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon reiterated his grave concern over the rising tensions in the country's east and south, particularly events in the crisis-gripped city of Slovyansk, where two Ukrainian military helicopters were shot down overnight and a group of European observes captured on 26 April remains in detention.
UNSC extends mandate of Western Sahara mission
New York, Apr 30 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday extended for another year the mandate of the United Nations mission tasked with monitoring the ceasefire in Western Sahara and organizing a referendum on self-determination for the people of the territory.
Ban seeks efforts to remove weapons of mass destruction
New York, Apr 29 (IBNS): Ten years after the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) took "bold action" to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday called for intensified efforts to remove the threat posed by these weapons and to prevent terrorists from acquiring them.
UNSC highlights critical role of military in peace efforts
New York, Apr 29 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Monday called on countries emerging from conflict and all those assisting them to prioritize the development of domestic police and national defence forces that maintain rule of law and respect human rights, in its first-ever stand-alone resolution on security sector reform.
South Sudan: UNSC condemns latest attacks against civilians
New York, Apr 19 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Friday voiced its outrage at the recent attacks by armed groups in South Sudan that have purposefully targeted civilians as well as the United Nations peacekeeping mission sites and personnel.
UNSC marks 20th anniversary of Rwandan genocide
New York, Apr 17 (IBNS): The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday marked the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide by calling on all countries to recommit to prevent and fight such serious crimes, as a senior United Nations official warned that many of on Wednesday's conflicts reveal that protection of populations from atrocities remains "lagging and elusive."