Security Council strongly condemns attacks against critical civilian infrastructure, unanimously adopting Resolution 2573 (2021)
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SC/14506
The Security Council strongly condemned today attacks in situations of armed conflicts directed against civilians and other protected persons that deprive them of objects indispensable to their survival.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2573 (2021) “Protection of Objects Indispensable to the Survival of the Civilian Population” the Council also strongly condemned the starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, which may constitute a war crime.
The Council also condemned acts of violence in conflict areas, whether deliberate or not, that threaten or harm civilian populations and essential infrastructure. Describing such acts as flagrant violations of international humanitarian law, the Council demanded that all parties to armed conflict immediately end such practices. It further demanded that all parties comply fully with thei
At Security Council Debate, Speakers Call for End to Indiscriminate Use of Improvised Explosive Devices (S/PRST/2021/8)
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Presidential Statement Urges Including Mine Action in Ceasefire, Peace Agreements
Expressing deep concern over the high number of civilian casualties caused by landmines, explosive war remnants and improvised explosive devices, the Security Council today reiterated its call on belligerents to “immediately and definitively” end the indiscriminate use of such weapons, as senior Government officials debated ways to rid the world of a pernicious legacy.
In a presidential statement (S/PRST/2021/8) issued by Viet Nam’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, who presided over today’s virtual ministerial debate as Council President for April, Governments called for strengthened implementation of resolution 2365 (2017), the 15-member organ’s first stand-alone text on mine action.
(Last Updated On: March 9, 2021)
The U.S. State Department said on Monday that it is too early to say how Afghan peace talks are going, but the United States believes this is a moment when progress is possible, Reuters reported.
State Department spokesman Ned Price also told a regular news briefing that the U.S. special envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, would be based in Doha for some time.
“We have continued to encourage all sides to take part constructively and with a degree of alacrity, knowing that this is a moment in time where progress is possible,” Price said.
(Last Updated On: March 9, 2021)
In a virtual discussion with Audun Halvorsen, the State Secretary at Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fatima Gailani and Fawzia Koofi, members of the Republic’s peace talks team, discussed the importance of the role and presence of women in the peace process.
Gailani said that today’s Afghanistan is different from what it was in the past – by having gained “experience from past problems and lessons learned”.
She said: “Our achievements in various fields are vitally important.”
Emphasizing the effective use of current opportunities to achieve lasting peace in the country, she said that the protection of women’s rights and the participation of women in politics is key to ensuring a bright future for Afghanistan.
Secretary-General Calls Vaccine Equity Biggest Moral Test for Global Community, as Security Council Considers Equitable Availability of Doses
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SC/14438
Addressing the equitable distribution of vaccines against the coronavirus in the Security Council today, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres proposed the creation of an emergency task force by the G20 countries to prepare and help implement a global immunization plan.
“The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is generating hope,” he told the 15-member Council’s videoconferencing meeting. “At this critical moment, vaccine equity is the biggest moral test before the global community.”
Today’s meeting was organized to discuss the role of the Security Council, Member States and the United Nations in ensuring that vaccines are made available equitably in places affected by conflict and insecurity.