Security Council to respond to proposals on UN mission in Sierra Leone, President says

The Security Council intends to respond to recent proposals by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to adjust the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), the President of the 15-member body said today.

In comments to the press, Ambassador Stefan Tafrov said Council members had discussed the situation in Sierra Leone as well as the Secretary-General's latest report on UNAMSIL.

“They discussed the ongoing challenges in consolidating peace and stability in Sierra Leone, particularly strengthening the security sector, and agreed that the Government and the international community must use the opportunity offered by the continuing security umbrella of UNAMSIL to make progress on these,” matters, he said.

Council members noted Mr. Annan's proposals for adjustments to UNAMSIL's size and composition and expressed their intention to respond to these in a resolution renewing the Mission's mandate, according to the President. They also appealed to the donor community to continue providing financial assistance to Sierra Leone.