The United Nations Security Council extended the mandate of the United Nations Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) through December 31st next year to help with presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled there for next July.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who finishes his term at the end of this year, described Sierra Leone as one of the UN�s success stories and an example of what can be achieved when the UN and Member States work together. He also endorsed a staff increase from January 1 to October 31 next year to help with the organisation of the elections.

UNIOSIL was established on January 1st this year, succeeding a UN peacekeeping force known as UNAMSIL that from 1999 to 2005 helped stabilise the country, which had suffered from years of brutal civil war.