Tag Archives: UN
16 April 2014
On 10 April, the United Nations Security Council issued a resolution that establishes the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in CAR (MINUSCA), consisting of 10,000 troops and 2,000 police forces. The peacekeepers are authorised to use all necessary means in order to protect the civilian population. Furthermore, the Council requested that the Secretary General incorporate the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) into MINUSCA. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | World must help people of Central African Republic ‘not tomorrow – today,’ declares UN chief
Source: UN News Centre | Security Council establishes UN peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic
Source: The Washington Post | Central African Republic needs immediate help
Source: The New York Times | U.N. to Send Peacekeepers to Central African Republic
2 March 2014
The Joint Mission of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations confirmed on 26 February 2014 that a shipment of Syria’s reserve of mustard gas has left the country. The Special Coordinator of the Joint Mission, Sigrid Kaag, stated that the shipment is an ‘important step’ in the destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons arsenal. Following international outrage over a sarin gas attack on civilians in August 2013, the Joint Mission was installed to supervise Syria’s compliance with its obligation to renounce its chemical weapons, agreed to by Assad after negotiations led by the United States and Russia. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre - Joint UN-OPCW mission welcomes mustard gas shipment out of Syria as ‘important step’
Source: Reuters | Syria agrees new April target to remove chemicals: diplomats
26 February 2014
On 24 February 2014 Dieder Burkhalter, Chairperson-in-Office of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and president of the Swiss Confederation, in a briefing to the UN Security Council, urged that security in Europe cannot be taken for granted, in light of the escalation of violence and political crisis in Ukraine. (more…)
Source: UN News Centre | Head of European security bloc outlines areas for greater collaboration with UN
24 February 2014
The top United Nations (UN) official in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) expressed concern after a political rally in South Kivu turned violent, leaving dozens of people injured. Martin Kobler, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known by the French acronym MONUSCO said: “I wish to remind the shared responsibility of political actors as well as administrative and security officials (…) Preserving peace and security for all as well as respect for human rights is everyone’s responsibility.”
MONUSCO is mandated by the UN Security Council and has among its primary tasks to protect civilians in the country.
Source: UN News Centre | UN peacekeepers in eastern DR Congo meet with injured after political rally turns violent
18 February 2014
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for solidarity and concerted action by the United Nations and regional organisations to help the people of Central African Republic (CAR), warning that ‘dark clouds of mass atrocities’ are looming over the nation.
Thousands of people are estimated to have been killed in the conflict in the CAR. The conflict has also left an estimated 2.5 million people – well over half of the country’s 4.6 million residents – in need of humanitarian assistance.
Ban Ki-Moon said: ‘[o]ur commitment to protect civilians is only as meaningful as the political, military and financial muscle deployed to defend them’ and that ‘[t]his will be a crucial opportunity to fortify our collective efforts – a chance to show that cooperation between the UN, AU, EU and others can help the people of the CAR at their time of need.’
Source: UN News Centre | Central African Republic ‘urgent test’ for UN, regional partners, Security Council told