New PGA: Outgoing president of the GA, Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser (Qatar), is ending his term and will be succeeded by Vic Jeremic of Serbia. In his last press conference of his tenure, he noted that past twelve months have been “momentous, historic and challenging” for the UN GA.
SC, SG Condemn Attacks: SC members have condemned “in the strongest terms” the series of violent attacks against embassies and consular premises of Member States in multiple locations last week. The SG issued a statement last week condemning the attacks as well.
Brahimi in Syria: The new Joint Special Representative for Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi, met with the Syrian president in Syria this weekend. He will meet with the foreign ministers of Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, who are attending the meeting of those countries being organized in Cairo. Mr. Brahimi will be back in New York soon to brief the SC.
Two-state Solution: The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, told the SC this morning that the lack of progress between Israelis and Palestinians on the political track, and the continuing conflict and occupation, put at risk the viability of the two-state solution.
Camp Ashraf: The SG’s Special Representative for Iraq, Martin Kobler, welcomed the arrival of the last major relocation convoy of residents from Camp Ashraf at Camp Hurriya this weekend. In total, 680 residents moved in the convoy on Sunday, of the 3,280 residents originally in the camp.
Liberia: In a meeting on Syria this morning, the SC extended the mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia by one year, until the end of September 2013, in a vote earlier this morning.
Sustainable Development: Environment ministers and representatives from over 40 African countries adopted a set of programs to boost sustainable development on the continent on Friday. The nations present at the African Ministers Conference on the Environment agreed to fully engage with the implementation of the outcome document of the UN Rio+20 Conference which was adopted in June.