Organized crime, breakdowns in law and order, and attacks by extremists, are examples of the challenges faced by UN peacekeepers, the Security Council was told on Wednesday, during a briefing by senior UN Police Commissioners, and UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
This Tuesday, top stories include: the UN’s war on hate speech; a surge in ethnic violence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the ‘invisible pandemic’ of antimicrobial resistance; UN peacekeeping Commanders’ meeting at the Security Council; and a new campaign to encourage healthy and sustainable food choices.
UN peacekeepers are facing increasing threats: fatalities are the highest in a generation, equipment is often inadequate, and political processes in many places are fragile or absent.
Within this context, the Secretary-General launched the Action for Peacekeeping Initiative (A4P) earlier this year.
It is designed to renew political support for UN peacekeeping, and to make operations more effective, safer and better designed to advance political settlements.
The South Sudanese people have been “held hostage” to “personality politics” for long enough and accountable institutions must be allowed to take over.
That’s the stark message from UN Peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, briefing the Security Council on Tuesday.
He said that the Regional Protection Force, or RPF, which was mandated more than a year ago following violence around the capital, Juba, would be fully in place by the end of November.
Matt Wells reports.
Duration: 2'26"
The engagement of countries in eastern Africa in a process aimed at revitalizing the peace process and bringing an end to conflict in South Sudan is a “good thing” the head of global UN peacekeeping operations has said.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, who is the UN Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, was speaking on Wednesday in the South Sudanese capital, Juba, following a meeting with the country’s President Salva Kiir.
Daniel Dickinson reports from Juba.
Duration: 2'47"
UN peacekeeping chief urges support for Mali peace process
Parties to the conflict in Mali must be encouraged to accelerate implementation of a 2015 peace agreement, the new UN peacekeeping chief Jean Pierre Lacroix told the Security Council on Thursday. The deal signed by the Government and armed groups sought to end three years of instability, including a failed military coup and the seizure of the north by radical Islamists. Dianne Penn reports.