The following is attributable to Spokesperson Heather Nauert:

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke yesterday by phone.

The two discussed concerns related to the DPRK’s destabilizing nuclear program and emphasized that neither the United States nor Russia accepts the DPRK as a nuclear power. Both sides agreed that they will continue to work toward a diplomatic solution to achieve a denuclearized Korean peninsula. On Syria, they discussed the importance of supporting the Geneva process to achieve a peaceful resolution of the Syrian conflict as called for in the Joint Statement made by Presidents Trump and Putin in DaNang, Vietnam. Underscoring the U.S. concern with the rising violence in eastern Ukraine, the Secretary requested that Russia return its representatives to the Joint Center on Coordination and Control and lower the level of violence.

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The United States welcomes Secretary-General Guterres’ appointment of Henrietta Holsman Fore as Executive Director of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Ms. Fore has had a long and distinguished career in public service, private sector, and nonprofit leadership, including as Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development and Under Secretary of State for Management. Over the course of her career, Ms. Fore has worked to champion economic development, education and health, security and good governance, and humanitarian assistance for the most vulnerable in the world. Most recently, Ms. Fore has served as Chairperson and Board Member for several private sector and non-profit institutions.

Ms. Fore will be a powerful voice on behalf of the world’s children in her new position with the UN. In January, she will succeed current Executive Director Anthony Lake, whose leadership, dedication, and compassion have been exemplary. We thank Mr. Lake for his seven years of tireless service to UNICEF.

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The United States condemns the illegitimate Constituent Assembly’s continued attacks on Venezuelan democracy. On December 20, it passed a decree to effectively ban certain political opposition parties from participating in the 2018 presidential election. The Venezuelan people deserve better. The U.S. calls for respect for the Venezuelan constitution and the will of the Venezuelan people through the democratically elected National Assembly. Venezuela must have free and fair presidential elections in 2018.

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We congratulate President Juan Orlando Hernandez on his victory in the November 26 presidential elections, as declared by the Honduran Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE).

The close election results, irregularities identified by the OAS and the EU election observation missions, and strong reactions from Hondurans across the political spectrum underscore the need for a robust national dialogue. A significant long-term effort to heal the political divide in the country and enact much-needed electoral reforms should be undertaken.

We call upon the TSE to transparently and fully review any challenges filed by political parties. We urge Honduran citizens or political parties challenging the result to use the avenues provided by Honduran law.

We reiterate the call for all Hondurans to refrain from violence. The government must ensure Honduran security services respect the rights of peaceful protestors, including by ensuring accountability for any violations of those rights.

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Today, the United Nations Security Council unanimously adopted a new resolution that will help Member States detect and counter the threat posed by foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs), especially those returning from the conflict zone in Iraq and Syria. Resolution 2396 is particularly timely, given the collapse of ISIS’s false caliphate and its continuing efforts to commit terrorist attacks around the world.

Building on the positive legacy of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2178, which was adopted in 2014 and obliged all states to criminalize FTF-related activities, the Security Council today directed members to take additional steps to address the terrorist threat as it has evolved over the last three years.

Working with our partners, the United States led the negotiation of this new set of international obligations and commitments. UNSCR 2396 requires all UN members to use Passenger Name Record (PNR) data and Advanced Passenger Information (API) to stop terrorist travel. It also requires members to collect biometric data and develop watchlists of known and suspected terrorists, including foreign terrorist fighters. In addition, the new resolution calls for stricter aviation security standards and urges UN members to share counterterrorism information with each other.

These tools—which the United States has been using for years and which have now been embraced by the international community—will be critical in preventing the movement of ISIS fighters and other terrorists across the globe.

The successful adoption of UNSCR 2396 demonstrates the United States’ unwavering commitment to the complete defeat of ISIS. It also shows that the Security Council—along with the 66 countries that co-sponsored the resolution—remains firmly, unquestionably united in the face of the common threat of transnational terrorism. We look forward to working with countries, UN bodies, civil society, and the private sector to implement this groundbreaking resolution.

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