U.N. Security Council passes tough new sanctions on North Korea

The United Nations Security Council voted Saturday to enact tough new sanctions on North Korea over its continued pursuit of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons.

UN to Vote Saturday on US-Drafted Resolution to Cut North Korean Exports

The UN’s main body will convene at 3:00 p.m. (19:00GMT) in New York to hold talks on "Non-proliferation/Democratic People’s Republic of Korea," according to its daily program.

UN Security Council action on Palestinian statehood blocked

UN, 30 December 2014 – Falling short of the required number of positive votes and faced with a veto from one of its permanent members, the United Nations Security Council today failed to adopt a draft resolution that would have affirmed the “urgent need” to reach within 12 months a peaceful solution to the situation in the Middle East and would have paved the way to a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The draft also outlined several parameters for the proposed solution – with a one-year deadline for negotiations with Israel and a “full and phased withdrawal of Israeli forces” from the West Bank by the end of 2017 – and would have looked forward to welcoming Palestine as a full UN Member State within the 12-month timeframe, urging both parties to build trust and negotiate in good faith.
Eight of the Council's 15 members voted in favour, one fewer than the nine members needed to pass a resolution in the absence of a veto by any of the Council's five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom or the United States.
While the resolution failed to receive the required majority among members, the United States also opposed the text, a move that would have seen the draft fail to pass.
Following the vote, Samantha Power, Permanent Representative of the US to the UN, stressed her country’s support for new ways to constructively support both parties in achieving a negotiated settlement.
“This resolution is not one of those constructive steps,” she said, adding that the draft set the stage for “more division, not compromise.”
The vote set-up a “staged confrontation” that did not contribute to a peaceful resolution of the Palestinian question, especially as the text was “deeply imbalanced”, establishing “unconstructive deadlines.” Five Council members abstained from the vote, including the United Kingdom, whose representative, Mark Lyall Grant, said he supported much of the draft’s content but was disappointed by the lack of negotiation and had therefore abstained.
“The Security Council has once again failed to uphold its Charter duties,” said Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, who said the draft was tabled in the face of a political impasse caused by “Israeli intransigence.”
Israel’s representative said the opposite was true, with the Palestinians having “every chance to negotiate.” Having refused to engage, they had now tabled their “preposterous unilateral proposal,” and he warned his Palestinian counterpart that he could not “agitate and provoke” his way to a State.
The representative of France voted in favour, calling on the Council to be a positive actor, “not a theatre,” and noting his support for a “clear timetable” on peace negotiations. The other remaining permanent members also voted in favour of the draft, with Russia’s representative, Vitaly Churkin, regretting the Council’s failure to adopt, and China’s representative, also stating his deep regret.
María Cristina Perceval, the representative of Argentina, said explanation of her affirmative vote was “unnecessary” and lamented the Council’s failure to adopt the text, while Chad’s representative, Mahamat Zene Cherif, current Council President, said the draft was “balanced and moderate” adding that the Council had “once more missed a date with history”, sending a negative message that encouraged continuation of occupation, injustice and oppression. The Council, he said, had missed an opportunity give the Palestinians “a ray of hope” after direct talks yielded almost nothing.
 [un.org]
30/12/14
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Related:

• UN Security Council rejects Palestinian resolution ...

• Palestinians demand UN vote on Israeli withdrawal, defeat likely

Palestinians demand UN vote on Israeli withdrawal, defeat likely

UN Security Council is expected to vote as early as Tuesday afternoon on a Palestinian draft resolution that calls for a peace deal with Israel within a year and an end of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories by late 2017.

Jordan's UN Ambassador Dina Kawar said Arab delegations had agreed the draft should go to a vote as soon as possible and the timing would depend on how quickly the 15-nation council's secretariat organize a meeting. Kawar said she was requesting a Tuesday afternoon vote.

Palestinian UN observer Riyad Mansour said the vote could be on Wednesday morning if it does not happen on Tuesday. Western diplomats said a 5:00 p.m. ET (2200 GMT) was possible, adding that the United States was expected to veto the measure if it managed to muster the minimum required nine yes votes.
 [jpost.com by Reuters]
30/12/14
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• Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird released a statement Thursday night saying that Canada is opposed to the imminent vote for the Palestinian resolution in the UN Security Council to put a deadline to the Israeli "Occupation."

“Canada fundamentally believes that Palestinian statehood can only be a by-product of negotiations with the State of Israel. We have long rejected unilateral action on either side, as we believe it is ultimately unhelpful to the cause of peace," the statement said. 

[ jpost.com]

Arab League to push UN on Palestinian state. (Draft resolution to the Security Council setting a timeframe for creation of Palestinian state)

The Arab League has agreed to present to the UN Security Council a draft resolution that will set a timeframe for the creation of a Palestinian state.

"We can no longer wait. We can no longer live with the status quo. Israel wants us to be an authority without authority," Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas said. "I understand the consequences of the UNSC move, but the most dangerous situation we can be in is remain in the status quo."
Al Jazeera's Nisreen El-Shamayleh, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said that Palestinians expected to face a veto from the United States - Israel's biggest ally - at the UN.

• "If the US decides to take punitive measures against the Palestinian Authority - maybe cutting off the much-needed aid - it will not be able to survive on its own and will need support from the Arab states. And the issue must have been discussed at the meeting today."

The foreign ministers of the League set up a committee on Saturday comprising Kuwait, Mauritania, Jordan and Arab League chief Nabil al-Araby to begin seeking international backing for the resolution, they said in their closing statement.

The statement did not specify when the resolution would be presented, but diplomatic sources have said Jordan, an Arab member in the Security Council, will present the draft within the next few days.

The move came after the Palestinians drafted a UNSC resolution calling for an end to Israeli occupation by November 2016, which they shared informally with Arab states and some council members, UN diplomats said on Wednesday.

The text has not been formally circulated to the full 15-nation Security Council, a move that can only be done by a council member, said the diplomats, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It calls for "the full withdrawal of Israel ... from all of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, as rapidly as possible and to be fully completed within a specified timeframe, not to exceed November 2016," diplomats said. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies 
29/11/14
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Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela elected to serve on UN Security Council

UN, 16 October 2014 – In three rounds of voting the United Nations General Assembly today elected Angola, Malaysia, New Zealand, Spain and Venezuela to serve as non-permanent members on the Security Council for two-year terms beginning on 1 January 2015.
The new members will serve on the Council until 31 December 2016.
Angola Malaysia, Venezuela and New Zealand were elected in the first vote. The Assembly then held two rounds of restricted balloting to elect Spain to fill the remaining seat on the Council open to the Western European and Other States Group. Turkey was the other contender for that seat.

The five overall seats available for election in 2014, distributed regionally, were: one seat for the African Group (currently held by Rwanda); one seat for the Group of Asia- Pacific Group (currently held by the Republic of Korea); one seat for the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States, (currently held by Argentina); and two seats for the Western European and Others Group (currently held by Australia and Luxembourg). Lithuania will maintain for another year, the seat for the Eastern European Group.

The five permanent Council members, which each wield the power of veto, are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Along with Lithuania, the non-permanent members that will remain on the Council until the end of 2015 are Chad, Chile, Jordan, and Nigeria. 

• Under the UN Charter, the Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. Each of the Council’s members has one vote. Under the Charter, all UN Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.

• The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorize the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.

The Security Council also recommends to the General Assembly the appointment of the Secretary-General and the admission of new Members to the United Nations. And, together with the General Assembly, it elects the judges of the International Court of Justice.
[ un.org]
16/10/14
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Poroshenko cancels visit to Turkey, calls urgent Security Council meeting

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has cancelled a visit to Turkey and convened an urgent national security council meeting over the situation in the Donetsk region, the presidential press service said on Thursday.

"I have decided to cancel the working visit to Turkey in connection with the sharp deterioration of the situation in the Donetsk region, in particular in the Amvrosiyevka and Starobeshevo," he said.

Poroshenko also said a meeting of the National Security and Defense Council would be convened on Thursday to work out a plan of further action. 

Ukraine has also asked to convene a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

"The world must give an assessment to the sharp deterioration of the situation in Ukraine," Poroshenko said.

The Ukrainian president was to leave for Turkey for the inauguration of President Tayyip Erdogan. Poroshenko was planned to have seven bilateral meetings during the visit.
 http://en.itar-tass.com/world/74703928/8/14---Related:

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UN to hold emergency meeting over Russian aid convoy

 The United Nations Security Council is to hold emergency consultations this evening after Russia sent an aid convoy rolling into eastern Ukraine.
 Lithuania requested the meeting to be held at 3pm local time (7pm Irish time) to discuss the entry of scores of trucks that Ukraine has described as an "invasion”.The Pentagon has said the US is very concerned about the movement of the convoy into the Ukraine and has urged Moscow to withdraw it immediately. 

"Russia must remove its vehicles and its personnel from the territory of Ukraine immediately. Failure to do so will result in additional costs and isolation," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby told reporters.

"Russia should not send vehicles, persons, or cargo of any kind into Ukraine, whether under the guise of humanitarian convoys or any other pretext, without Kiev's express permission," he said.
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen sharply criticised the Russian decision to advance a "so-called" aid convoy into Ukraine on Friday as a "blatant breach" of international commitments that "only deepens the crisis".
"This is a blatant breach of Russia's international commitments... and a further violation of Ukraine's sovereignty by Russia," Mr Rasmussen said in a statement.
He poured doubt on Moscow's claim that the convoy, which had been waiting at the border for a week, was actually meant for humanitarian purposes.
Ever since Russia annexed Crimea in March, NATO has taken a leading role in Western accusations that Moscow was actively involved in destabilising eastern Ukraine.
The transatlantic military alliance accuses Moscow of actively providing weapons and fighters to pro-Kremlin separatists as well as massing its own troops near the border.

Putin tells Merkel further aid delays to Ukraine 'unacceptable'
Russian President Vladimir Putin has told German Chancellor Angela Merkel that further delays in delivering humanitarian aid into eastern Ukraine would have been unacceptable, the Kremlin said in a statement.
In a phone call initiated by the German leader, Mr Putin said that following "clear procrastination" by Kiev, Russia decided to begin the controversial mission because "further delays would have been unacceptable" given the humanitarian catastrophe in the conflict zone, the Kremlin said..........................http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0822/638694-ukraine-convoy/
22/8/14
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Related:  

• Moscow blames Kiev, countries behind it for putting their interests above humanity

• NATO Secretary General condemns entry of Russian convoy into Ukraine

• EU Calls Aid Convoy Entry Into Ukraine 'Violation,' Urges Moscow to Reverse Decision...

• Further protraction of Russian aid delivery to southeastern Ukraine inadmissible (Putin)

UN Security Council calls for Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire

The UN Security Council called for a ceasefire in hostilities between Israel and Palestinians on Saturday, expressing its deep concern over the welfare and protection of civilians on both sides of the conflict.

“The Security Council members called for de-escalation of the situation, restoration of calm, and reinstitution of the November 2012 ceasefire,” the 15-member body said in a statement.

It also called for the respect of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians.

The Security Council’s statement came as Israel rushed an eighth missile interceptor battery into service on Saturday to counter stronger-than-expected rocket fire from Gaza, and the military struck positions in the Palestinian enclave for a fifth day.

At least 127 people have been killed by Israeli air strikes thus far, according to Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Kidra, while more than 920 have been wounded.

• The Security Council’s statement was its first official response to the conflict since it began. The United States – a close ally of Israel – and Jordan were unable to reach agreement on a Security Council statement on the crisis earlier this week, diplomats said. Council statements have to be approved by consensus.

• Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour accused the council of dragging its feet and said Saturday’s statement had only been agreed after the Arab Group, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement threatened to push for a resolution on the issue.

The Security Council statement also expressed “support for the resumption of direct negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians with the aim of achieving a comprehensive peace agreement based on the two-state solution”.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, REUTERS)
12/7/14

UN chief seeks arms embargo in Syria conflict

Ban Ki-moon calls on Security Council "to stem the flow of arms" to Syria, that he called "increasingly a failed state"....

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged the Security Council to impose an arms embargo on Syria, describing foreign powers and groups as "irresponsible" for giving military support to the warring parties in the three-year conflict.
"If divisions in the Council continue to prevent such a step, I urge countries to do so individually," said Ban on Friday.

Russia, supported by China, has shielded Syria on the Security Council during the conflict by vetoing four resolutions that threatened action against Bashar al-Assad's government. Russia is also one of Syria's main arms suppliers.

• The United States is supplying rebels with "non-lethal" aid - such as radios, trucks and training. But some US officials say small arms and anti-tank missiles are also being given.

• "Syria's neighbours should enforce a firm prohibition on the use of their land borders and airspace for arms flows and smuggling into Syria," he said.

'A failed state'
Ban expressed anger and disappointment that the international community has been unable to find a way to end the civil war that has killed about 150,000 people, displaced half the country's 22 million population and forcing 2.8 million to flee.

"Syria today is increasingly a failed state," he said. "The Syrian conflict has now spread visibly and devastatingly to Iraq, with flows of arms and fighters across a porous border."
International and regional powers have backed opposing sides, with Russia and Iran supporting Syrian Assad and Western powers and Gulf Arab states largely backing the rebels. The UN Security Council has been largely deadlocked.
Ban welcomed recent contacts between Iran and Saudi Arabia and expressed hope that "they will build confidence and reverse a destructive competition in Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and elsewhere".
 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/06/un-chief-seeks-arms-embargo-syria-conflict-201462015511749875.html
20/6/14
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• 'UN will not give up trying to restore peace to your country,' Ban tells Syrian people....

UN, 20 June 2014 – Spotlighting the worsening of the already horrifying war in Syria, “which continues to bleed beyond its borders,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today delivered a strong rebuke to the world's indifference to the bloodshed and rejected the notion that a military solution is the only way to end it, offering instead a “principled and integrated” approach that would end the violence, jumpstart political talks and sow the seeds for a better future for the Syrian people.

“We must act. All the values for which we stand, and all the reasons for which the United Nation exist are at stake, here and now, across the devastated landscape that is Syria today,” declared Mr. Ban in an impassioned address to the Asia Society, urging the international community not to abandon the people of Syria and the region to “never-ending waves of cruelty and crisis.” ..................http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48093#.U6SBjUDm7gw
20/6/14
 

Russia, China block Security Council referral of Syria to International Criminal Court

UN, 22 May 2014 – Despite repeated appeals by senior United Nations officials for accountability for crimes being committed in Syria, the Security Council was unable today to adopt a resolution that would have referred the situation in the war-torn nation to the International Criminal Court (ICC), due to vetoes by permanent members Russia and China.

The resolution, which was backed by the other 13 members of the Council, would have given the Court the mandate to investigate the horrific crimes committed during the course of the conflict in Syria, which since March 2011 has witnessed the deaths of over 100,000 civilians, the displacement of millions and widespread violations of human rights.

“The Syrian people have a fundamental right to justice. The United Nations and its Member States have a fundamental duty to defend that right,” Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said in remarks delivered on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon prior to the vote.

“Since the outbreak of the war in Syria, I have persistently called for accountability for perpetrators of grave human rights violations, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The recent attacks against humanitarian convoys and personnel, which may constitute war crimes, add to the urgent need to see action now on accountability in Syria,” he stated.

“The Security Council has an inescapable responsibility in this regard. States that are members of both the Security Council and the Human Rights Council have a particular duty to end the bloodshed and to ensure justice for the victims of unspeakable crimes.”

In February 2013, the UN-appointed Commission of Inquiry concluded that the ICC is the appropriate venue to pursue the fight against impunity in Syria.

“If members of the Council continue to be unable to agree on a measure that could provide some accountability for the ongoing crimes, the credibility of this body and of the entire Organization will continue to suffer,” Mr. Eliasson warned.

Today’s action comes less than 10 days after the Joint UN-League of Arab States Special Representative on the Syria crisis, Lakhdar Brahimi, resigned from his post after nearly two years of diplomatic efforts to bring about a political solution to the brutal civil war.

In accepting the envoy’s resignation, the UN chief had acknowledged that the 80-year old Algerian diplomat had faced almost impossible odds, “with a Syrian nation, Middle Easters region and wider international community that have been hopelessly divided in their approaches to ending the conflict.”[un.org]
22/5/14
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Related:

• Syrian opposition asks for anti-aircraft arms from US. -- Washington has consistently resisted previous requests

  • Syrische Armee vernichtet Dutzende Extremisten, darunter ausländische Söldner

United Nations Security Council action on Crimea referendum blocked

UN, 15 March 2014 – Owing to the negative vote of one of its permanent members, the United Nations Security Council today failed to adopt a draft resolution which urged countries not to recognize the results of this weekend's referendum in Crimea.
Thirteen of the Council's 15 members voted in favour of the draft text, Russia voted against, and China abstained. A veto by any of the Council's five permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States – means a resolution cannot be adopted.

• The resolution would have reaffirmed Ukraine's “sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity” and declared that Sunday's referendum which could lead to Crimea's break with Ukraine and union with Russia, “can have no validity”.

Speaking ahead of the vote, Russian Permanent Representative to the UN, Vitaly Churkin, said it was “no secret” that Russia was planning to vote against the draft. He added that Moscow would respect the decision of the Crimeans but could not accept the basic assumption of the draft resolution which aimed “to declare illegal the planned March 16 referendum where residents of the Republic of Crimea should decide on their future”.

• Liu Jieyi, Permanent Representative of China to the UN, said after the vote that Beijing sought a “balanced” solution to the conflict within a framework of law and order. He called for the creation of a coordination group, a support package for Ukraine, and also called on countries to refrain from action which could further escalate the conflict.

Deep disappointment and incredulity was expressed by several Council members, who noted that this was the seventh time the body was convening to discuss the situation in Ukraine.
United States Permanent Representative Samantha Power, whose country sponsored the resolution, said the text was aimed at finding a principled and peaceful solution, and upheld UN principles on the sovereignty of its Member States.
Russia has the power to veto a Security Council resolution, "but it does not have the power to veto the truth," she said.
United Kingdom's Mark Lyall Grant said the result of today's vote highlighted Russia's isolation over Crimea within the Council and from the international community.
Meanwhile, Gérard Araud of France quipped that Russia “vetoed the UN Charter” with its “no” vote.

• Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that “emotions have been hardened” over the forthcoming referendum.

• Addressing journalists Friday at the UN Headquarters in New York, Mr. Ban cautioned against “hasty measures and decisions which may impact the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Ukraine” and stressed that any actions should be in accordance with provisions of the UN Charter.

UN officials, including Mr. Ban, have been appealing to all parties to calm the situation and to engage in direct and constructive dialogue to forge a peaceful way forward in Ukraine, which has been witnessing unrest for several months.
Tensions heightened last week as lawmakers in Crimea, where additional Russian troops and armoured vehicles have recently been deployed, voted to join Russia and to hold a referendum on 16 March to validate the decision.
 un.org
15/3/14