All articles tagged with #un security council
Guyana’s Ambassador Rodrigues Birkett leads the UN Security Council’s second non-binding straw poll in the race to succeed Antonio Guterres, with eight 'encourage' votes and others close behind (Grynspan and Grossi each had seven); the process remains non-binding and iterative, as the council narrows the field toward a formal recommendation for the General Assembly before Guterres’ December 31 departure.
The United Nations Security Council begins informal, closed-door straw polls to gauge support for seven candidates from Africa and Latin America seeking to succeed António Guterres as UN Secretary-General, with no clear frontrunner and multiple rounds possible through the summer into fall.
The US walked out of an emergency UN Security Council session on Russia’s war in Ukraine after France accused Washington of abandoning its human rights leadership for opposing extending Volker Turk’s term as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, a remark France published on X comparing the US to North Korea and Russia. The US condemned the rhetoric and said it would continue protests until France retracts. Turk’s term was approved by a 144–10–13 vote.
US diplomats walked out of a UN Security Council meeting as France spoke, escalating tensions after a dispute over renewing UN rights chief Volker Türk’s term; Washington accused Paris of condescending rhetoric, while France defended UN independence, with Turk’s reappointment approved by the General Assembly amid broader US-France frictions on international affairs.
The US pressed Russia at a UN Security Council session to pursue a deal as Moscow’s war in Ukraine drags on, warning that about 40,000 casualties are being sustained monthly. May was the deadliest month for civilians since April 2022, with 274 killed and 1,763 wounded, and UN officials flagged damage to civilian infrastructure and cultural sites (including Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra) as UNESCO cites hundreds of damaged sites. The message emphasized diplomacy over further bloodshed, noting Ukraine’s battlefield gains and Russia’s mounting costs.
Ukraine requested an emergency UN Security Council session for June 8 to respond to Russia’s latest large-scale missile and drone strikes on Ukrainian cities, urging renewed international pressure to uphold the UN Charter and advance Kyiv's peace proposals.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday at Kyiv’s request after Russia launched one of its largest aerial offensives of the year, firing 729 weapons (73 missiles and 656 drones) and striking Ukrainian cities, energy facilities and civilian infrastructure. Kyiv is pressing for practical support—more air defense, tougher sanctions and use of frozen Russian assets—to compel Moscow toward peace, as casualties and destruction mount. Zelensky has floated direct talks in a neutral venue, signaling a pivotal diplomatic moment amid Moscow’s escalation.
Kyrgyzstan won a historic non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2027-2028, becoming the Asia-Pacific representative after defeating the Philippines in four rounds; it joins Austria, Portugal, Trinidad and Tobago, and Zimbabwe, replacing Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia, as the Council grapples with major-power rivalry and calls for reform and scrutiny of veto power.
Germany failed to win a rotating UN Security Council seat, with Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul saying Russia fueled sentiment against Berlin and that Berlin's strong support for Ukraine and Israel may have cost votes; late entry into the race and Germany's Middle East stance were also cited factors, while Russia has not responded.
Portugal and Austria won two non-permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council for 2026-27, defeating Germany in the UN General Assembly vote.
Germany failed to secure a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council, with Portugal and Austria taking the two Western European seats. Berlin blamed its stance on Israel and Russian opposition for the defeat, while Merz faces domestic criticism as a diplomatic setback undermines his bid to restore Germany’s leadership role. Portugal and Austria leveraged neutrality and multilateral diplomacy, underscoring shifting dynamics in global diplomacy.
A drone strike on the Starobilsk College in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region killed 21 people and wounded 42, prompting Russia to accuse Ukraine, Ukraine to deny targeting civilians, and an emergency United Nations Security Council session; President Putin ordered a response from the defence ministry, while hawkish commentators urged broader retaliation beyond Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed Ukraine for a deadly drone strike on a Luhansk dorm and ordered retaliation, a claim Kyiv denies as it urges restraint; the incident prompted UN Security Council discussions and IAEA monitoring of a near-nuclear facility issue while Russia suffered drone-related damage to an oil terminal and Ukraine said it struck Russian oil facilities. Back home in Kyiv, protesters pressed a bill to declare missing soldiers dead; in broader Western discussions, US troop deployments in Europe are being reduced and lawmakers push for rapid Ukraine aid amid ongoing geopolitical tensions and congressional debates over defense funding.
The United Nations Security Council is urged to press Hamas to disarm using every available diplomatic means, reflecting renewed international focus on disarmament amid ongoing Gaza tensions and after recent Israeli strikes; the piece situates the call within long-running Middle East peace efforts led by UN envoy Nickolay Mladenov and highlights the human impact in Gaza.
More than half a year after Trump’s ceasefire, Gaza’s reconstruction is at a standstill due to funding gaps, diplomatic delays, and Hamas’s demand to relinquish weapons; pledges totaling about $7 billion have not translated into action, with the Board of Peace reporting only a fraction of funds actually disbursed and no international security force on the ground.