AS DELIVERED
Let me begin by thanking you, Mr. President, on behalf of all the members of the Security Council, for your service as President of the General Assembly and for arranging today’s meeting.
The United States, as the President of the Security Council for the month of September, has the honor to introduce the annual report of the Council, covering the period January 1 to December 31, 2017.
The Charter of the United Nations entrusts the Security Council with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. With the support of United Nations members, the Security Council has endeavored to discharge its responsibilities in accordance with the Charter to support peacekeeping efforts and urge peaceful resolution of conflicts around the world.
Keeping up with recent trends, the activity of the Security Council increased in 2017. During the year, the Council held 296 formal meetings, of which 282 were public. The Council adopted 61 resolutions and 27 presidential statements and issued 93 statements to the press. The Council also conducted five missions. In March 2017, the Council sent a mission to the countries of the Lake Chad basin region – Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. In May, the Council went on a mission to Colombia. In June, the Council visited Haiti, and in September, the Council met with the African Union in Addis Ababa. Lastly, in October 2017, the Council visited the Sahel region, including Burkina Faso, Mali, and Mauritania.
Last year, thematic, general, and cross-cutting issues remained a priority for the Council, including non-proliferation; threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts; the protection of civilians in armed conflict; children and armed conflict; women, peace, and security; peacekeeping and post-conflict peacebuilding; sanctions; cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations; peace and security in Africa; and the rule of law.
I would like to thank China for preparing this report, and Members of the Council for their contributions to the report. Finally, on behalf of the Security Council, I extend our appreciation to the Secretariat and all others involved in compiling and producing the report. We look forward to this afternoon’s discussion of the report and to hearing any views or comments from the members of the General Assembly, which we will be happy to take back to our colleagues in the Security Council.
Thank you.
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