SECURITY COUNCIL
The Security Council met in closed consultations right now and was briefed on Cyprus by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo in consultations.
Earlier this morning, Council Members adopted a resolution on the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Security Council is also scheduled to meet on Ukraine this afternoon.
 
KHASHOGGI
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a press release issued today that the murder of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi must be investigated in an independent and impartial manner to ensure a full examination of, and accountability for, the human rights violations committed in the course of what she called a “shockingly brazen crime.”
She welcomed steps taken by Turkish and Saudi authorities to investigate and prosecute the alleged perpetrators of Mr. Khashoggi’s murder, but she added that the bar must be set very high to ensure meaningful accountability and justice for such a crime against a journalist and Government critic.
The High Commissioner called on the authorities in Turkey and Saudi Arabia to cooperate in ensuring that the full truth is revealed about the murder and that the rights to the truth and justice of his family – and the public at large – are fully realised.
 
SYRIA
The Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, has been continuing intensive consultations on the early establishment of a constitutional committee. That included consultations he hosted yesterday in London within the context of the Geneva process with senior officials of the Small Group, comprising Egypt, France, Germany, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom and the United States. This was a useful interaction based on the seriousness and urgency of moving ahead with the constitutional committee.
The Special Envoy also met in London with Nasr Hariri, the General Coordinator of the Syrian Negotiation Commission.
On Sunday, Mr. de Mistura was present at the Istanbul summit hosted by Turkey and including the Presidents of France and the Russian Federation, as well as the Chancellor of Germany. The Special Envoy took particular note of the clear call at the highest level from these four important countries for “establishing and early convening, considering the circumstances, by the end of the year of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva.”
Mr. de Mistura looks forward to hosting consultations, within the context of the Geneva process, with senior officials of the Astana guarantors and Sochi conveners: Iran, the Russian Federation and Turkey.
 
INDONESIA
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that, in Indonesia, one month after the earthquake in Central Sulawesi, significant progress has been made in meeting the needs of people impact, and the Government and its national and international partners continue to provide assistance to those in need.
The Government is intensifying its focus on the transition to recovery while continuing to meet immediate humanitarian needs.
International partners, including the UN, stand ready to continue supporting national Government and civil society leadership.
 
EDUCATION
A new report by UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, says that living in a rich country does not guarantee equal access to quality education. The report ranks 41 countries on the extent of educational inequalities at preschool, primary and secondary school levels. It uses the latest data to examine the link between children’s achievements, such as reading scores, and factors such as parents’ occupation, migration background, gender and school characteristics.
The report calls on rich countries to do much more for children from disadvantaged families as they are the most likely to fall behind.
 
INDONESIA
In a statement issued yesterday evening, the Secretary-General expressed his deep sadness at the crash at the plane crash in Indonesia which took the lives of all those on board. He conveyed his sincere condolences and deepest sympathies to the families and to the Government and people of Indonesia.