UNSC condemns attacks against peacekeepers in Darfur; UNSC denounces terrorist attacks in Nigeria; UNSC welcomes political transition in Yemen; G4 calls for early UNSC reforms; Indian diplomat appointed as UN Secretary-General’s special adviser on Myanmar
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  • According to reports, the UN Security Council condemned the attack on UN-AU patrol in Darfur which caused one death and also called on the Sudanese Government to bring the perpetrators to justice. The Council reiterated its support for UNAMID and called on all parties in Darfur to cooperate with the mission. 1

    Meanwhile, UNSC expressed sympathy and condolences to the victims of the multiple terrorist attacks that occurred in Kano, Nigeria and underlined the need to bring the perpetrators to justice. The statement issued by the Council reaffirmed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of motivation, wherever and by whomsoever committed and should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group. 2

    In another development, the UNSC welcomed the progress towards the implementation of the political transition in Yemen, based in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative. The Council urged all the parties in Yemen to reject violence, refrain from provocations and cooperate with the Military Affairs Committee to fully implement the GCC implementation mechanism and Security Council resolution. The 15-member body also stated that it was gravely concerned over the humanitarian situation in Yemen, including food insecurity, alarming levels of malnutrition and increasing number of IDPs. 3

    According to reports, in the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the question of equitable representation and increase in the membership of the Security Council, India pushed for early implementation of comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council. The first of the five rounds of talks was on January 26, which saw the G4 nations – India, Brazil, Germany and Japan making their case. The G4 nations stressed on a ‘short resolution’ that calls for ‘early reforms of the Security Council, expansion in both its permanent and non-permanent categories and improvement in its working methods. 4 The short resolution received an encouraging support in the form of 85 signatures, 53 other expressions of support and another 14-15 in the pipeline. 5

    According to reports, veteran Indian diplomat, Vijay Nambiar, the current Chief of Staff to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will take over as Mr. Ban’s special adviser on Myanmar. 6

    Reports noted that in an open debate at the UN Security Council on situation in the Middle East, India’s permanent representative, H.S.Puri criticized the increasing Israeli settlement activities in Palestinian territories as not compatible with the two-state solution. Puri also added that the settlement activities are not only illegal under international law but also undermine efforts taken by the international community. 7

    In other developments, according to reports, the Security Council is likely to discuss a draft resolution which is backed by most Arab states that calls for the Assad regime to surrender its totalitarian hold on Syria. This marks a new phase in the regional stand against Syria as the Arab League has been looking actively for ways to end the crisis. 8

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