Security Council Programme of Work for May
Poland is the president of the Security Council in May.
During its presidency there will be two open debates. The first one will focus on the Council’s role in upholding international law. It will be chaired by the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, and may include a briefing by Secretary-General António Guterres. The second will be a ministerial-level open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict, which is expected to focus on measures to enhance compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law and the protection of health care in armed conflict. The meeting will be chaired by Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz of Poland, and will include briefings by Guterres; the Director-General of the ICRC, Yves Daccord; and a civil society representative.
The annual briefing of force commanders will be held in May. In addition to Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix, briefers are expected to include the force commanders of the AU/UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), and UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
The Council is scheduled this month to receive its annual briefing from the chairs of its counter-terrorism-related committees. The briefers will be Ambassador Kairat Umarov (Kazakhstan), chair of the 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida Sanctions Committee; Ambassador Gustavo Meza-Cuadra (Peru), chair of the 1373 Counter-Terrorism Committee (CTC); and Ambassador Sacha Sergio Llorenty Solíz (Bolivia), chair of the 1540 Committee, which focuses on the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
A briefing will be provided on the Council’s recent visiting mission to Bangladesh and Myanmar by the mission’s co-chairs (Kuwait, Poland and the UK). An outcome based on the Council visiting mission is possible.
Council members are expected to receive the 90-day briefing on the work of the 1718 Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) Sanctions Committee in consultations late in the month from the Committee Chair, Ambassador Karel van Oosterom (Netherlands). Members will follow developments with regard to the DPRK closely, especially given recent diplomatic activities, and may meet to discuss the DPRK during the month.
African issues are a significant part of the programme. The Council is expected to receive briefings by the Special Representative and head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), Ghassan Salamé, and the chair of the 1970 Libya Sanctions Committee, Ambassador Olof Skoog (Sweden), followed by consultations. Also this month, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will deliver her semi-annual briefing on recent developments concerning cases in Libya.
Sudan and South Sudan issues will be a key focus of the Council’s work this month. Briefings, followed by consultations, will be held on UNMISS and the work of the South Sudan 2206 Sanctions Committee. Under-Secretary-General Lacroix is expected to brief on UNMISS, while Ambassador Joanna Wronecka of Poland, which chairs the sanctions committee, will brief on its work. Joint Special Representative Jeremiah Mamabolo is scheduled to brief on UNAMID; this will be followed by consultations. A resolution will be adopted renewing the mandate of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) prior to its 15 May expiration. The Council also expects to adopt a resolution renewing the 2206 South Sudan sanctions regime and the mandate of the 2206 South Sudan Sanctions Committee’s Panel of Experts, both of which expire on 31 May.
A briefing on the activities of the joint force of the Group of Five for the Sahel (G5 Sahel), or FC-G5S, is scheduled this month. Under-Secretary-General Lacroix may be one of the briefers.
The Council will receive a briefing from Special Representative Michael Keating on the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), which will be followed by consultations. It also expects to renew its authorisation of the AU Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), which expires on 31 May.
A briefer from the Department of Political Affairs is expected to brief members on Guinea-Bissau. This will be an oral update from the Secretariat, which the Council requested in its 28 February resolution (S/RES/2404) extending the mandate of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) for a year.
There will be a briefing on the Secretary-General’s latest report on the situation in Burundi, most likely by Special Envoy Michel Kafando. The chair of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Burundi Configuration, Ambassador Jürg Lauber (Switzerland), may also brief. Consultations will follow the briefing.
The Netherlands and Equatorial-Guinea are expected to organise an Arria-formula meeting during May to discuss the situation in Burundi further, with a particular focus on the Arusha Accord, which in 2000 put an end to civil war and ethnic violence and established the basis for the current constitution.
Poland, in partnership with Côte d’Ivoire, France and Sweden, will hold an Arria-formula meeting on Children and Armed Conflict early next week. It will focus on “Ending and Preventing Grave Violations Against Children through Action Plans: Best Practices from African States”.
Regarding the Middle East, there will be the regular briefings on the political and humanitarian situations and on chemical weapons in Syria. High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Izumi Nakamitsu is expected to brief on chemical weapons. Later in the month, Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Mark Lowcock are expected to brief on the political and humanitarian situations, respectively.
The monthly meeting on the Middle East (Israel/Palestine) will most likely feature a briefing by Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov. This will be followed by consultations.
Council members expect to receive the semi-annual briefing on the latest report on the implementation of resolution 1559 in consultations. Adopted in 2004, resolution 1559 called for the disarmament of all militias and the extension of government control over all Lebanese territory.
Special Representative and head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) Ján Kubiš is expected to brief the Council on the Secretary-General’s report on UNAMI and the most recent developments. Consultations will be held following the briefing.
Three European issues are scheduled in May. The semi-annual debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) will feature a briefing by the High Representative for BiH, Valentin Inzko, who will present the latest report of the Office of the High Representative.
The quarterly briefing on the situation in Kosovo will be held in May. Special Representative and head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Zahir Tanin, will brief on recent developments and the latest report of the Secretary-General.
A briefing on Ukraine is scheduled for late in the month.
Poland expects to hold a wrap-up session on the last day of May to review the month’s work.
Non-proliferation is in the footnotes of the programme. Members will be watching developments on Iran closely following any decisions made by US President Donald Trump this month regarding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear programme. Meetings on this and other issues could be scheduled during the month depending on developments.
